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  • Queer Pasts: Eresource of the Month – October 2023

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    Photo: Frances Benjamin Johnston, full-length portrait, seated in front of fireplace, facing left, holding cigarette in one hand and a beer stein in the other, in her Washington, D.C. studio
    Above: Frances Benjamin Johnston, full-length portrait, seated in front of fireplace, facing left, holding cigarette in one hand and a beer stein in the other, in her Washington, D.C. studio. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.38981/

    October is LGBTQ History Month! Your Brown University Library is highlighting Queer Pasts as its Electronic Resource of the Month.

    Queer Pasts is a new digital queer history project consisting of primary source document collections and curatorial essays. Queer Pasts seeks to broaden the field of queer history by prioritizing projects that focus on the experiences and perspectives of under-represented historical groups, including people of color, trans people, and people with disabilities.

    Each document exhibit includes 20-40 primary source documents; whenever possible, they are available in both transcribed (searchable) and original form. Every exhibit also includes a critical introductory essay that helps explain the significance of the primary sources in historical terms and in relationship to previous scholarship.

    Queer Pasts collections include Reclamation Projects: An Archive of Queer Latinidad, 1850-1921 and “A Revealment Most Sensational”: Eleven Stories of Trans Lives in the United States, 1878-1914, plus so much more.

    Explore this resource to create new and compelling research questions about queer and trans life!

    The Library Expert whose subject specialty intersects with this database is Leo Lovemore (leo_lovemore@brown.edu). You can reach out to them directly for one-on-one virtual or in-person consultations, classes, and meetings.

    URL: https://search-alexanderstreet-com.revproxy.brown.edu/qupa

    #queerhistory #lgbtqhistorymonth #lgbtqhistory 

  • The JCB’s Americana and Open Access

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    woodcut print of a buffalo, from JCB collections
    [Buffalo] 1553. López de Gómara, Francisco, 1511-1564
    [Historia de las Indias] Primera y segunda parte de la historia general de las Indias: con todo el descubrimiento y cosas notables que han acaecido dende que se ganaron ata el año de 1551
    En Caragoça [Saragossa]; A costa de Miguel Capila mercader de libros vezino de Caragoçca
    B553 L864p /1-SIZE. https://americana.jcblibrary.org/search/object/jcbcap-ljcb-1-1-6-10006/

    John Carter Brown Library

    The John Carter Brown Library is a private institution, located on the campus of Brown University, that is home to an unparalleled collection of rare books, maps, prints, and manuscripts related to the early Americas. Since the 1910s, the JCB has maintained a rich tradition of reproducing its materials across a wide range of media, including photostats, photographs, and microfilm. In the 2000s, the library embarked on a digitization journey designed to offer full access to the collection to our culturally diverse readership.

    Americana

    Our digital assets were spread across various platforms for many years, a practice that posed challenges related to the materials’ maintenance, accessibility, and preservation. However, in May 2023, we proudly unveiled Americana — the JCB’s cutting-edge digital gateway. Americana is an advanced research platform designed to allow users to locate, read, annotate, and download materials and even craft their own digital projects, all while harnessing the wealth of resources within our collection.

    Open Access and Understanding Use

    The JCB’s extensive collection is accessible through Open Access, giving users the freedom to utilize our materials, as long as they credit the library. We typically ask users to include the statement “image courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library.” This practice allows us to track and understand how our materials are being used in academic publications, research papers, digital projects, and even high-profile cinematic productions. For instance, our renowned Agnese map appeared in the 2022 blockbuster movie Uncharted starring Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, and Sophia Ali (watch the trailer here — can you spot our map?).

    JCB Collections

    The JCB’s Americana holds some of the first books ever published on the continent. These materials were written in over 200 different languages, including indigenous languages that have long fallen silent. The platform offers a rich array of items, each narrating a unique chapter in the tapestry of the Americas’ cultural history, from the wonders of its exuberant natural history to profound insights into the history of indigenous peoples of the Americas.

    You will also come across materials that shed light on the darker aspects of our colonial past. These items bear witness to the cruelties and injustices that defined this era, ultimately shaping the systemic inequalities that continue to reverberate in contemporary society. Americana invites users to engage with the history of the Americas, acknowledging its complexities and offering a platform for meaningful reflection and dialogue on the evolving legacy of the continent.

    Feedback

    Visit us at americana.jcblibrary.org, and leave us your feedback

  • MANKILLER: Film, Special Collections, Panel

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    On November 8 and 9, 2023, the John Hay Library, the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women, and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative present programming related to Native American and Indigenous activism and political engagement.

    The events are free and open to the public.

    Native American and Indigenous Special Collections

    Wednesday, November 8 at 4 p.m.
    Special Collections Reading Room, John Hay Library
    20 Prospect St., Providence

    View recently acquired special collections materials related to Native American and Indigenous activism and political engagement.

    Screening of Mankiller: Activist. Feminist. Cherokee Chief.

    Mankiller movie poster featuring photo of Wilma Mankiller

    Wednesday, November 8 at 6 p.m.
    Willis Reading Room, John Hay Library

    Attend a screening of Mankiller, a documentary film chronicling the life of Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The film’s director, Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, will be in attendance.

    Panel Discussion

    Thursday, November 9 at 5:30 p.m.
    Room 305, Pembroke Center
    172 Meeting St., Providence

    Attend a panel discussion with Valerie Red-Horse Mohl (Cherokee ancestry), director of the documentary film Mankiller, and Honor Keeler ’05 (Citizen of the Cherokee Nation), Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice, Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative. The panel will be moderated by Kimberly Toney, Coordinating Curator for Native American & Indigenous Collections, John Hay Library and John Carter Brown Library.

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