Louisville Presbyterian Seminary

The Ernest Miller White Library

One of the locations we visited during the ATLA conference this June was the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Believe me, when librarians go places..., well, they end up going to other libraries! Saturdays at the annual conference usually involve visiting one of the host institutions, and we always visit the libraries! So, this time we pay tribute to the Ernest Miller White Library. E.M. White was the librarian at the seminary from 1945-1985, a rather lengthy and distinguished time. As we took the tour, we were treated to a fine library, complete with a great collection, resource and computing labs, space-saving serials, rare books, and an antiquities display, among other fine items. The images below are in the reading room near serials (and I believe reference), as well as the computer lab.











































This was one of my favorite spots: the Bob Benfield Alcove (for) Practical Theology. Who knew that there were alcoves for such things!? Heck, I want my own alcove for Practical Theology!















Above, in the same room. I found these windows to be rather attractive. They turned out to be faux stained glass, which folded out and revealed a clear window--but I was somewhat entranced by their design!















This may be a first for our blog--cuneiform texts! Tablets and Biblios! Certainly, these are relevent precursors to the book, the codex, the scroll. They needed to write somehow in ancient times, and what a way to preserve! I recall once being in a seminar in Jerusalem, in a class in Akkadian studies, and the professor told us about the new technologies used to read these tablets. You see, some of these are actually "letters." And the slightly "bulkier" ones (see second image below) are clay letters wrapped in clay "envelopes." Prior to the modern technology of scanning, these outer envelopes had to be destroyed in order to see the contents of the letters. Now, scientists simply scan the object and get layers of information, protecting the antiquity from destruction.

The immediate image below is Sumerian, and older language than Akkadian.











































Near the compact shelving on another floor, there was a fine display of pottery and other items from the ancient world. And at the end of the hall...a rare book room. The E.M. White Library was a fine collection. If you're in the area, take a tour. I can't promise the world to my readers, but I'm pretty sure that you'll find a few curiousities along the way, and maybe a few good ideas. Who knows, maybe one of you will put your morning coffee down, and say, "ya know, I think I need to re-arrange my living room, and finally put up that alcove of practical theology!" You never know.

The Filson Historical Society and Library (100th Article!)

Filson Marks 100th Biblio-Article!

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the grand Filson Historical Society today: now, I did not plan this, but it just so happens that today's article marks the 100th "On Books and Biblios" blog, since our inception back in May 2009! Of course, these sorts of benchmarks are arbitrary, but "100" is such a nice number, and in the blogosphere, there's a bit of a psychological hurdle that you've jumped, once you've blogged for at least a year and have "the century" under your belt. But let this not be a moment to slack under feeling a smidge of minor accomplishment! I hope to keep pushing ahead with many, many, many more pieces about books on the streets, in libraries, in museums, in coffee shops, in cars, in the country, in the world, wherever we can find them!















But now, back to "the Filson," as it is often called. As you can see from the front and back of the historic marker-sign, John Filson (1753-88) was the first historian in Kentucky. Perhaps this meant "the first to write about Kentucky history." Nonetheless, the historical society of Louisville and its building, the Ferguson Residence, are named in honor of Mr. Filson.















My conspirator and co-pilot for the day, the good Rev. Dr. Haverly, enjoyed a moment of pause inside the Filson, with some busty men--some bronzey types, some marbly.





























Some images of the many bookshelves in the Filson. The first floor (above) had an old reading library of sorts, along with some sitting and sun rooms. Below is an image of one of the upper floors, where the historical society and research library are located.





























Two peculiar yet attractive ornaments in the Filson were these lights fashioned as brass insects: perhaps a grasshopper and dragonfly in Art Nouveau?





























Above: a map in one of the research rooms. Below: the film reading room and card catalog.





























The research library--seen above and below--was a remarkable place. The reference librarian was very friendly and helpful. Most of the material was arranged by state: yes, that's correct--by state, such as "Virginia," "Ohio," "Illinois," and (of course) "Kentucky." It seemed to deal mostly with states located in the mid-section of the country, which had some associated history to Kentucky. I didn't see any "Alaska" or "California" section, for example.















The top floor was, perhaps, the most important of floors, because it is where the archives are held. The archivist was processing materials, but spoke with me briefly. He was a very pleasant and helpful person, as well. The overall sense that I got was that people around here valued what they had, and they valued what they had, perhaps because they realized the importance of their long and rich history. It's good to know that some places in our archival world are being tended to and preserved, especially amid the complexities of financial crises. The Filson plugs on with a certain clarity and pride that other institutions (especially "local" institutions!) should follow. So let this Club of local history seekers, preservers, and lovers be our beacon for a better future of historical preservation and conservation; a beacon for expanding interest in tending to the past; and perhaps, even a beacon for yet another hundred biblio-blog postings.

American Printing House for the Blind Museum and Library

"The Greatest Museum in Louisville!"

One of the great secrets of Louisville is that it is home to one of the most interesting and--in my opinion--extraordinary museums I've come across in years. The museum is rather new, but it showcases and educates visitors on a much older institution: the American Printing House for the Blind. The first photo here shows the sign outside of the building, which interestingly depicts the name of the company in Latin letters AND large-size Braille! Part of the delight of finding this place is that it really is a landmark, not simply in Louisville, but in the United States and world-wide. In the following photograph, you will see an historical marker which indicates its historical status. As it notes, the American Printing House for the Blind has been around since 1858 and is the oldest non-profit agency for the blind in the US and the largest publishing house for the blind in the world--quite a distinction!















As I mentioned, the museum is a new component and serves to educate people on the enterprise of blind typographic and cultural history, blind publishing, and blind pedagogy and education. There are interactive stations for younger visitors, as well as for adults. One of the staff members at the museum told me about various processes of producing Braille books and how you can get a book (or "your book") made into Braille.















The museum is truly extraordinary. An perhaps it felt even more so with no other tourists milling around! The Printing House, its museum, and library are not in the center of town, but more toward the east side of Louisville, on a fairly quiet street. I rode a bike the morning I found it, parked the bike along a fence and walked in. It was quiet and air-conditioned and I asked the person at the front desk about the museum hours. They directed me up an elevator, which opened to this fine entrance above.















Throughout the museum you will find items such as these--books in Braille and other books for the blind. Apparently, in the 19th century, according to the history of blind typography, printing, and writing, there were typography wars or perhaps even "Braille wars." What this meant is that several individuals were vying for the best mode of tactile type for use in printing for the blind. Some systems or shapes looked like crescents, for example, while others were simply raised Latin letters!















Somewhere in the museum, there was a quote about the best systems of printing for the blind were those systems created by they blind, not by those created by someone with sight. Below is a display dedicated to the good Mr. Braille himself.





























Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about Braille is the story behind it. Or at least part of the story. Braille himself devised the system based on an earlier writing system called "Night Writing," created by Charles Barbier at the request of Napoleon. The French leader wanted a silent communication system that soldiers could use during the night--silent communication for military and warfare. The system, which was called sonography, was based on a 6x6 matrix of dots that soldiers could pass their hands across in the dark and execute orders or other military actions. Braille adapted this and the rest is history.















Various tools for blind printing can be seen above. And more books below.





























Above is an encyclopedia done completely in Braille--if I remember correctly it was World Book, and contained well over 140 volumes! Below are musical renderings into blind-friendly text. I'm not sure if they technically call this "Braille," but the notations are raised.





























Above and below we find the library portion of the APHB. The museum was on one floor and the library was just above it. Finding the library was a little hard, since it wasn't advertised. But I was convinced that it had to be in the building--you don't have such a remarkable organization with a museum and NOT have a library! I spoke with two wonderful individuals in the library area, one of whom was in the general library area, the other in an office down the hall from the library. In the latter, I was introduced to the librarian/archivivst, who was most welcoming and told me about some of the collections. She also showed me some remarkable archival materials including a document written in Japan in the late 1970s on reading for the blind on computers (this would have been a precursor to "reading online" for the blind)--simply amazing! Another document was from the 1920s and dealt with the history of blindness and fair treatment of the blind at that time--the document was revolutionary in that it is one of the first egalitarian writings regarding the blind: treating those with blindness as human beings rather than anomolies.

























































On my way out of the museum, I discovered this little interactive children's station. I bent down and found that it was actually a series of goggles with gradually worse obfuscation. They are meant to show various degrees of blindness. I thought that this was a fine pedagogical tool, and not just for children! I think many times adults fail to realize the full implications of not just blindness, but other physical impairments that make it difficult to live in our world. This was a wonderful museum, and surely under-utilized and under-visited. It's good to find a museum where you learn something, but even better to find a museum that makes you more aware of ourselves and those around us.

Martin Luther's Book on the Street

"So there's a guy on the street..."

Well, actually, one day I rented a bike in Louisville, and on my way back to the hotel I ran into him. Specifically, I rode "by" him: it was a statue of Martin Luther. Now usually, I'm enchanted by statues of any sort, and even more taken by statues of individuals carrying or holding books. But think about this: Martin Luther carrying a book!? Well, this was sort of the "great book" statue to some extent, for a librarian working at a Lutheran seminary! I pulled over and took a few snapshots of the statue for all of you to see today. The statue stands in front of the First Lutheran Church of Louisville, which is located at 417 E. Broadway. The Church is an ELCA church, whose present (interim) pastor is the Rev. Judy Brennan. It was founded in 1872, originally with 14 members.

The Luther statue dates from 1960, when an educational unit was added to the church. It is one of only ten Luther statues in the United States and was sculpted by Frederick Soetebier of Germany. For a more full history of the church and other related information, see the following URL: http://www.thewelcomeplace.com/ and then go to the "interesting history" link.

It's surprising where some bike rides will take you--or even what sort of things you will find!
But I'm convinced that there are books around every corner, whether real or bronze, like this one. Just keep looking!

Books and Bats (Sluggers, that is!)

Looking through a Window, Darkly?

One of the most touristy places in all of Louisville is the Louisville Slugger factory. This showroom, museum, factory, and gift/book shop are all held under one roof. It is located on Main Street along with the SAR Research Library, the Frazier International History Museum, and many other fine stores and coffee shops. I took the tour of the factory, which was rather impressive, and which pumps out a brand new Louisville slugger (bat) every few seconds. Blocks of wood go through an automated process--nearly everything is driven by fancy computer systems, replicating the exact details of bat design, which are formed by templates. The wood blocks used to be carved out by hand on rotating platforms, and would take the better part of an hour. Now the computers control the details and spit them down conveyer belts in seconds.

Here's a link to the museum: http://www.sluggermuseum.org/















A few books can be seen in the gift and book shop here.





























Inside the museum and gallery were other examples of "books." This one above was a display, but made in book-form. And below is an exhibit at the entrance of the tour in the factory. We were not allowed to photograph the factory or its processess, but this display gives an idea of the work behind the Louisville slugger.





























And, of course, no baseball museum would be complete without a wax statue of Babe Ruth!















Unmistakable. That's the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. You can't miss the darn place, when you walk through downtown. It has a signiture bat that stands taller than the building itself, the world's largest bat! So, if you're ever in Louisville, and you want to find some books on baseball, or just see how the sluggers are made, "swing" by. You'll even get a "free" mini-bat at the end of your tour. Just remember to check it in your luggage. Airlines consider it a weapon and the Louisville airport has a container full of confiscated mini-bats from the musuem. Better off carrying a book. It's a less obvious weapon.