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March Update

March 10, 2025

The end of winter quarter means the start of Spring is nearly here!  Be sure to bookmark our Top Ten Tips for Finals Success, a great resource to revisit throughout the year and take advantage of Odegaard’s Study Sprint Breaks all this week – plus… therapy dogs!!  Undergrads… do you have a final project you are excited about from this year? Consider applying for our UW Libraries Research Award for Undergraduates , open to ALL areas of study and formats — from dance and drama to microbiology and math–you could win amazing cash prizes!  Speaking of prizes, while you’re keeping your eyes on that UW Cherry Blossom Cam, test your knowledge with our Cherry Blossom Challenge! When you need a study break, or something to do after finals, be sure to catch the last run of soon-to-be retired UW Libraries exhibits (see “Community Events and Exhibits” below)!  And lastly…’Tick Tock’, those 1-minute student video contest submissions are due soon (April 4)– good luck! 

News and Stories

image: of one of the illustrated pages in the 1544 Dante at UW Libraries Special Collections
one of the illustrated pages in the 1544 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy at UW Libraries Special Collections

Rocket Men: How former UW reporters launched a generation of influencers (before there were influencers). An inside look at last month’s special celebration of The Rocket exhibit and the contributions of its late founder, Charles Cross. Read the story.

Dante Has Arrived: An inside look into this new and unique acquisition to UW Libraries Special Collections. Learn more. 

Which is the most Insta-worthy university library in the U.S.? Teachers of Tomorrow conducted a study using Instagram data. Data quality check, please!? 🙂  Read the list. And then post those hashtags!

Digital Scholarship Series Highlights Innovation in East Asian Studies: Learn about this lecture series and the last session of the year, coming up April 14. Learn more.

Featured Resources

NEW!  The UW Libraries now provides Premium access to Foreign Policy magazine with features to help the UW community understand the complex geopolitical issues driving today’s world. This access includes approximately 55 new deep-dive analysis, exclusive interviews, and expert insights per week. Foreign Policy content is available in web- and app-based applications, eight topical & regional newsletters, 18 award-winning podcasts, FP Live Interviews, FP Analytics research, and FP Events.

Community Events and Exhibits 

April 2- First Wednesday Concert Series: Students of the UW School of Music perform in this lunchtime concert series co-hosted by UW Music and UW Libraries.

April 5-Asian American Home Movies Screening: Sponsored by UW Libraries, join us for a free, special screening of historic Asian American home movies from the greater Seattle Area. Free and open to the public on Saturday, April 5, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Japanese Baptist Church, 160 Broadway, Seattle. The historic home movies from private collections and the UW Libraries Special Collections feature family events, farms, and scenes from pre-war communities in our region. The event is spearheaded by UW Cinema & Media Studies doctoral candidate Sarah Choi whose research interests include race and cinema, orphan films, and found footage filmmaking. Special Collections is co-sponsoring the event. Moving image and sound archivist Ashlyn Higareda will be there to present clips from Special Collections films. RSVP and learn more about Reel Memories.

EXHIBITS:

Learning Workshops and Office Hours 

@Odegaard Sound Studio

  • March 12 – Intro to Audacity is a popular, free audio software perfect for basic audio mixing, recording, and arranging. This is perfect for basic audio work with small visual projects, or even music and podcasts. Feel free to bring your own device if you would like to follow along, otherwise there will be devices provided! Hope to see you there.
  • March 14 – Ableton Intermediate Have a basic foundation in Ableton Live and want to learn more? Develop your skills further with the Intermediate workshop by learning more tips and tricks in Ableton, such as advanced sampling techniques and a basic tutorial on mixing with stock plugins just to name a few. This will be held in the Sound Studio in Odegaard (OUGL246), with no need to bring your own device.

SAVE THE DATE

April 10- Create the World’s Fastest Book: Manifold Workshop via Zoom:  Learn how to create the world’s fastest book using the Manifold digital book publishing platform! 

Apr 14- Statistics, Machine Learning and Classical Japanese OrthographyDigital Scholarship Series 4 (1) featuring Prof. Paul Atkins, Doctoral Candidates of Mathematics, Herman Chau, and Michael R. Zeng. In this talk, Professor Atkins and his lab’s students will discuss how they used statistical analysis of classical hirogana usage to determine whether a set of controversial Japanese manuscripts were inscribed by their assumed scribe.  This lecture is part of the Tateuchi East Asia Library Digital Scholarship Series. 

Drop-In Help and Office Hours

WEDNESDAYS Sound Studio Office Hours– Come to the Sound Studio with any audio-related needs! It’s the perfect opportunity to get more personalized help or advice, as well as any refreshers you may need to use the studio more effectively. Feel free to drop by any time from 1-2PM, every Wednesday!

MARCH 18- Digital Scholarship Project Help Office Hours: Learn about getting started with digital projects at UW. We offer consultations for research and course related projects. Examples include support for digital publishing, building digital exhibits, and more! We can help you find the right tools, resources and instruction whether you’re just getting started or are working on an on-going project. Come ask us about the Libraries digital scholarship infrastructure tools (Manifold, Omeka, etc.).  This service is available only to current UW faculty, students, and staff.

 

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Stories

Rocket Men

March 10, 2025
Visitors explore The Rocket exhibit  (and FREE Pagliacci Pizza)  in Allen Library

How former UW reporters launched a generation of influencers (before there were influencers)

Last month, UW Libraries hosted a special reception for its exhibit Celebrating The Rocket, on display in Allen Library’s north lobby through February 15, 2025. Amidst a Seattle music soundtrack spun by “DJ Vallier” (aka faculty and curator for UW Ethnomusicology Archives), and a pizza buffet donated by Pagliacci, attendees meandered through the well-documented history of Seattle’s most iconic music publication featuring the paper’s artful covers, behind-the-scenes stories and related ephemera. Taking in the exhibit, viewers were transported back in time to moments that became touchstones of Seattle’s storied music scene during the paper’s run from 1979 to 2000. 

Guests had the added benefit of hearing from special guest speakers whose perspectives served as a fitting tribute to the late Charles Cross (May 7, 1957 – August 9, 2024) — one of the country’s most respected music writers and editors, a 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and one of the The Rocket’s first writers, as well as its editor and final sole owner.  Cross’ son, Ashland, spoke about his father’s draw to journalism describing how, in 1975, Cross arrived at UW originally wanting to be an architect, but ultimately found his way to The Daily (UW’s student newspaper) and never looked back. Ashland described his dad’s lifelong passion for music, including an unwavering admiration of Bruce Springstein. He explained that Cross’ inspiration for writing was rooted in the beat writers and vanguard writers like Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson who “proved that journalism wasn’t just a sideline observational thing, that sometimes you have to live it to know what it’s about.” 

“I see my Dad’s work at The Rocket as a continuation of his admiration for the decades of counterculture writers, bringing that, in a local sense, to Seattle,” said Ashland. “The Rocket served as a nucleus for Northwest music… what Seattle music would become wouldn’t exist without The Rocket.” 

Left to Right: Shawn Schollmeyer (Washington Digital Newspapers -Washington State Library); John Vallier, John Keister, Jessica Albano, Ashland Cross, and student employees who curated the exhibit-Norah Murphy, Sydney Nguyen, Sam Stringer, and public services supervisor Elizabeth Friedly.

The event was capped off by an insightful keynote address by comedian and television personality John Keister (UW ‘79), a close friend of Cross, and also one of the first staff writers for The Rocket. Cross (UW ‘81) and Keister met in 1975 while working at The Daily. Keister reminisced about the unbelievable combination of talent, timing and exceptional access that shaped his experience at The Daily such as his first interview assignments with the likes of Timothy Leary, Elizabeth Kubler Ross and Simon Wiesenthal, among other change-makers and influencers. Unbeknownst to all, five of his fellow staff writers at The Daily would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize–Suki Dardarian, Tim Egan, David Horsey and Mike Luckovich. 

 …”the things that I was able to do (in entertainment) are because of The Rocket and what it led to. It was everything, and I made it with the help of Charlie, and my other friends from The Daily.” – John Keister

After graduating from UW with a degree in English, Cross went to work for The Rocket in 1980 where Keister was already a writer. Keister was instrumental in getting the paper off the ground, using graduation gift money from his parents to help purchase a typesetting machine, which, at the time, was typically only available through third party printers for a fee. That machine, Keister explained, was the genesis of many Seattle music careers.

…”The Nirvana logo was done on (our) machine.” – John Keister

A promotional ad from The Rocket, 1991

“That machine allowed us to bring in a lot more people, and allowed other people to print their stuff, and they started using it for all sorts of things. For example, the Nirvana logo…which is a fairly simple logo… was done on that machine.” 

Beyond launching the careers of many musicians, that genesis also applied to The Rocket staff.  As Keister noted, New York Magazine once said that The Rocket served as the “farm team”  for New York talent as several former art directors went on to work at the heads of national media based in New York, and dream jobs in larger markets. 

Keister recalled venue staff shouting “Rocket Man” in the tone of Elton John’s eponymous tune during his downtown delivery route where he got to see “one minute of every performance in every club in the city that night.” 

The Rocket’s unbelievable photography from the front row perspective was initially delivered in anonymous envelopes under the office door. Eventually the anonymous photographer, Rex Rystedt would officially join The Rocket staff, and is credited with helping to establish the look and feel of the paper that gave readers a unique insider’s view to the burgeoning rock scene. 

Keister described Seattle as a trial city for new artists and bands from the UK who would play here first before going on tour nationally.  “We saw the first shows for Madonna, Elvis (Costello), the Clash… it was amazing,” said Keister. 

Various covers of The Rocket’s “All Local” issues

Among the many aspiring musicians who sent demos and promotional materials to The Rocket with hopeful anticipation of recognition, was a group of young teens by the name of “Shadow.” As Keister tells it, they sent in a photograph of the band doing their best to look as “badass” as possible. While the staff weren’t convinced of the teens’ “badass-ness”, they were amused, and put the photo in the “letters” section of their next edition. 

“Years later, Mike McCready (lead guitarist from Pearl Jam) told me that seeing their photo in that edition of The Rocket was the moment they decided to keep going,” said Keister.

Keister reflected on the impact of his first job and what it led to. “My work at The Rocket was the most deep and fulfilling part of my career. The Rocket gave me everything that I ever wanted —  the things that I was able to do (in entertainment) are because of The Rocket and what it led to. It was everything, and I made it with the help of Charlie, and my other friends from The Daily.” 

John Vallier, curator for the UW Ethnomusicology Archives and Charles started talking about digitizing The Rocket over a decade ago. The will and the resources finally fell into place in 2022. The exhibit and celebration event were the culmination of a 4-year collaboration between Cross, UW Libraries, and the Washington State Library to preserve The Rocket on microfilm and provide free access to it through the Washington Digital Newspapers website. 

When the project began, the team discovered that the microfilm of the paper was essentially illegible, and they would need to source 333 original hard copy issues of the Seattle edition. 

Jessica Albano, UW Libraries’ Head of Government Publications, Maps, Microforms and Newspapers spoke about working with Charles Cross on the years-long effort. 

Jessica Albano addresses a packed house for the exhibit event, “Celebrating The Rocket”

“To quote Charles, ‘trying to gather perfect scannable copies of 21 years of a defunct publication required the herculean efforts of a whole group of people.’ And Charles led that effort to get at least one copy of every issue. When we found that a page was missing or a coupon had been cut out, he would set off to find a replacement. If anyone here (at the event) contributed issues from your personal collections, thank you. It’s because of you and Charles we now have a complete run of the paper preserved on microfilm.  It was during my last visit to drop Rockets off at his house that he invited me in to show me some old photographs from those days. That’s when we decided to keep our collaboration going by creating this exhibit intended to introduce an entirely new generation to The Rocket.”

“Preserving original sources like local news is important because they are the first drafts of shared history.” – Jessica Albano

The exhibit was thoughtfully curated by UW Libraries staff and several student employees who explored The Rocket archives and created the detailed displays highlighting Seattle’s rich musical history.

Albano added, “Preserving original sources like local news is important because they are the first drafts of shared history. During The Rocket’s 20 year run, it documented changes in communication (analog to digital), technology (cassettes to CDs to downloads), industry (prices, shopping at brick and mortar stores to online), popular culture (music, art, fashion), and Seattle’s cityscape. The Rocket archive and the exhibit are connecting a new generation to an important period in Seattle’s history.”

The Rocket is the legacy of Charles Cross and all those, like Keister, who helped him to create it for over two decades. It is a treasure trove of consequential music history that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of an era. While that era (and the operational days of The Rocket) are gone, this legacy remains preserved for all to revisit whenever they want, through microfilm held by the UW Libraries and online through Washington Digital Newspapers from the Washington State Library. 

See and Learn more: 

The Rocket Exhibit: History of the Rocket – A guide to the UW Libraries exhibit commemorating The Rocket.

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Stories

Digital Scholarship Series Highlights Innovation in East Asian Studies

February 13, 2025
Assistant Professor Gian Rominger presenting his talk, “On a Computational Analysis of Early Chinese Poeticity” January 22.

Throughout the 2024/2025 the Tateuchi East Asia Library (TEAL) is hosting the TEAL Digital Scholarship Series, a dynamic program showcasing cutting-edge research by faculty in the fields of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese (CJKT) studies. This series highlights how innovative digital tools and methodologies are transforming East Asian scholarship, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and broadening the impact of research within and beyond academia.

The 2025 TEAL Digital Scholarship Series features four distinguished speakers from the University of Washington’s East Asian Studies faculty. This year’s lineup is particularly meaningful, as it highlights the groundbreaking research of our own faculty in digital humanities and their significant contributions to the field of East Asian studies.  The upcoming lecture by Dr. Jing Xu for example explores how researchers are using social network analysis and large language models artificial intelligence among other techniques, to analyze unpublished field notes from late anthropologist, Arthur Wolf.

The workshop launched as a pilot program in autumn 2019, representing a cornerstone initiative of the Tateuchi East Asia Library to support research in East Asian studies. Generously funded by a three-year grant from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation, the series aimed to enhance scholarly engagement through innovative workshops, lectures and community-building events. The inaugural workshop, led by Japanese Studies Librarian Azusa Tanaka, was a resounding success, drawing a large and engaged audience.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a pivot to online programming, which expanded the series’ reach to a global audience. Virtual formats enabled the inclusion of international speakers and participants, fostering transnational scholarly collaboration. New components, such as the Digital Scholarship for East Asian Studies Community Coffee Hour, were introduced to promote informal exchanges among scholars. The series also adopted thematic programming, with topics like geospatial analysis, textual encoding, and creative geovisualization.

The series was designed to provide graduate students, faculty, and researchers in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese studies with hands-on experience and theoretical insights into digital scholarship methods.

This popular series has hosted numerous events featuring contributions from UW faculty, students, librarians, and international collaborators. Notable UW faculty partners included Professors Bo Zhao, Clair Yang, Jin-Kyu Jung who provided valuable expertise and consultation. The workshops covered a wide range of digital tools and methods, from ArcGIS StoryMaps to TEI (Textual Encoding Initiative), and showcased innovative research applications. The popularity of the series over the past five years underscores the continued interest in learning about the intersection of East Asian Studies and digital scholarship.

“The Tateuchi East Asia Library staff are committed to supporting innovation, scholarship, and collaboration in the evolving field of digital humanities through this series, through our work in the libraries and in partnership with faculty and students,” says Hyokyoung Yi, Director of the University of Washington Tateuchi East Asia Library and the Korea Studies Librarian. “We look forward to the upcoming series and to exploring new ideas for the future.”

The Tateuchi East Asia Library plans to continue the series, featuring cutting-edge research with a strong focus on East Asian studies, fostering interdisciplinary and international research collaborations.

For questions and more information on this program, please contact: Hyokyoung Yi ([email protected]

Stories

Celebrating A New Arrival: Dante!

February 6, 2025
image: of one of the illustrated pages in the 1544 Dante at UW Libraries Special Collections
One of the illustrated pages in the 1544 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy at UW Libraries Special Collections, Photo: Liber Antiquus

The University of Washington Libraries is pleased to announce the acquisition of a rare and remarkable volume: the 1544 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy featuring commentary by Alessandro Vellutello. Published in Venice by Francesco Marcolini, this edition stands out not only for its scholarly significance but also for its artistic innovation. Vellutello, a leading Dante commentator of the 16th century, revolutionized how readers engaged with The Divine Comedy by integrating his own extensive commentary with an unprecedented suite of woodcut illustrations. The 87 woodcuts designed specifically for this edition were intended to supplement the text and deepen the reader’s understanding of Dante’s vision of the afterlife. This was the first time that illustrations were deliberately designed to work in concert with the commentary, a concept that shaped future approaches to visualizing literary works.

image of the 1544 edition of Dante's Divine Comedy
The outer cover of the 1544 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy at UW Libraries Special Collections, Photo: Liber Antiquus

The book itself is bound in a beautiful 17th-century calfskin binding with gold tooling along the spine, reflecting the care and value placed on it by previous owners.

Within its pages, scholars will find not only intricate woodcuts but also historical marginalia including a fascinating 16th-century inscription referencing an astrological conjunction believed to signal a change in religious thought. This artifact enhances opportunities for research in textual studies, early modern European literature, art history and book history, allowing students and faculty to explore how early readers interacted with and interpreted Dante’s work.

Adding to its significance, this volume connects to a broader scholarly discussion on the origins of its illustrations. Some scholars have speculated that Giovanni Britto, a printmaker associated with Titian, may have been responsible for cutting the woodblocks. Others suggest that Vellutello himself may have created the preparatory drawings, portions of which are now held at The Morgan Library. Regardless of the artist’s exact identity, the craftsmanship of this edition represents a pivotal moment in the history of illustrated books.

This extraordinary addition of the 1544 edition of The Divine Comedy to UW Libraries’ Special Collections was made possible by the Charles T. Leibst Libraries Endowed Fund.

We are deeply grateful for this generous support, which enables us to acquire, maintain, and preserve antiquarian books. With this type of support, UW Libraries continues to develop its distinctive collections to align with the array of interests of our students, faculty, and community members.

-Julie Tanaka, Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections, UW Libraries

The generous support of endowments, such as the Leibst endowment, allows UW Libraries to acquire historically significant materials that inspire inquiry and lead to innovative teaching, original research, and student success.

The Vellutello Dante may be viewed in the Special Collections Reading Room by making an appointment via the catalog link here. Instructors interested in using this material for classes can contact Special Collection by email ([email protected]).

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Stories

February Update

January 31, 2025

Don’t you just LOVE February? We do, because February means the launch of the annual “IHeartUWLibraries” Student Video Contest — check it out (and maybe win $1,000!). There’s also LOVE DATA WEEK, a great opportunity to take advantage of free workshops and events that can help level up your data skills. And don’t miss the chance to learn from distinguished experts through events on AI bias, citizen journalism and labor studies, and podcasting for public scholarship. There’s a lot to love this month! Happy February, Huskies!

Featured  Resources

Black History Month 2025: In honor of Black History Month, take a moment to explore some of the incredible history-makers and historical resources that celebrate the incredible contributions of Black leaders, academics and artists who have made an impact in our community, and the world. Learn more.

image from WTO archives

NEW! The WTO Footage Digitization Project is a groundbreaking collection featuring hundreds of hours of rarely seen footage from the WTO protests, collected by activists on the ground. The footage is part of a new online resource that also includes digitized archival materials from a rich collection at the UW Libraries and the WTO History Project, making the history of the protests accessible to scholars, students, and the public.

 

NEW! In response to user requests, UW Libraries is providing trial access to Hispanic American Newspapers (1808-19080) and Rand Daily Mail 1902-1985, reporting on South Africa from the Boer Wars to the apartheid era. Trial access ends February 29, 2025. The databases are also linked from the A-Z Databases List’.

News and Stories

2025 IHeartUWLibraries Video Contest ! Calling all content creators, UW Libraries fans, storytellers, amateur AND expert videographers — all level of expertise and interest are invited to compete in this annual contest to create a 1-minute video that highlights all there is to love (and learn) at the Libraries. First place prize is $1,000! Submissions are due April 4, 2025. Learn more.

 

Michael Biggins, UW Affiliate Professor; Slavic, Baltic, and East European Studies Librarian, was recently honored with the prestigious 2024 VTIS Award by the Društvo VTIS (Society of Slovenes Educated Abroad – Read the story

Community Events and Exhibits

February 5th – First Wednesday Concert Series: Students of the UW School of Music perform in this lunchtime concert series co-hosted by UW Music and UW Libraries.

Winter Game Break at Odegaard Library: Games for Two!Feb 13- Winter Game Break at Odegaard Library: Games for Two! Take a break from studying to unwind and make new friends at our “Games for Two” event! Enjoy a relaxed evening filled with casual games, tasty treats, and great company. 

Feb 13: Coded Bias Film Screening & Guest Speaker: Dr. Jevin West – A screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Coded Bias, which examines the biases embedded in AI algorithms and their impact on society. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with our esteemed guest speaker, Jevin West, professor and Associate Dean for research at the UW iSchool and director of UW Center for Informed Public. Space is limited, registration is required. Learn more.

Harvesting Light and Liquid Hauntology: A Screening and Conversation with Soyoung Kim
An image from Harvesting Light and Liquid Hauntology

Feb 13- FILM SCREENING Harvesting Light and Liquid Hauntology: A Screening and Conversation with Soyoung Kim. Join us at the Tateuchi East Asia Library  for a screening of four short films by Soyoung Kim. A Q&A with the director will be moderated by Asian Languages & Literature Professor Ungsan Kim. See also the ongoing exhibits at the Tateuchi – 

Jill Freidberg
Keynote speaker, Jill Freidberg is a documentary filmmaker, oral historian, public artist, and educator. 

Feb 25: From IndyMedia to Citizen Journalism: Media, Democracy, and the Legacy of the WTO Protests– Join us at MOHAI to celebrates the launch of the WTO Footage Digitization Project with a special keynote address by Jill Freidberg, co-founder of the Independent Media Center, participant in the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, and filmmaker to discuss the role IndyMedia played in warning against the dangers of media consolidation and shaping citizen journalism as we know it today. Learn more.

Feb 26: Tateuchi East Asia Library Digital Scholarship Series #2 with Jing Xu, Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Prof. Xu’s talk is titled Unravel the Complexities of Children’s Moral Development: Human-Machine Analysis of Arthur Wolf’s Fields Notes Collected in Taiwan 1958-1960.   The lecture Series showcases cutting-edge research by faculty in the fields of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese (CJKT) studies and how innovative digital tools and methodologies are transforming East Asian scholarship. Learn more.

Learning Workshops

Feb 10- Hacking the Academy: Fireside Chat with Professor Emily M. Bender – Join us in the OSC and online for conversation with Professor, author and podcaster,  Emily M. Bender, as she discusses the creation of her podcast, “Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000” with Dr. Alex Hanna. Discover the process behind producing a podcast that critically explores AI and its societal impact, all while engaging listeners in accessible, thought-provoking conversations. Learn more.

Love Data Week 2025 save the date

Feb 10-14: Love Data Week 

 

Feb 11- Digital Tools for Getting Your Work Out There-Join in the UW Libraries and Learning Technologies for a quick survey and discussion of digital tools at UW that will help share your work broadly!

Feb 18- Introduction to Podcasting -Curious about starting a podcast? Join us for Introduction to Podcasting at the UW Open Scholarship Commons! In this online workshop, you’ll create a podcast intro, share and listen to others’ projects in a supportive environment, and learn practical tips for recording high-quality audio.

Feb 20 – UW Libraries Storytelling Fellows: WordPress Sites for Beginners (FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS, FACULTY and STAFF)

Coming Soon

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Stories

Black History Month 2025

January 31, 2025

In honor of Black History Month, take a moment to explore some of the incredible history-makers and historical resources that celebrate the incredible contributions of Black leaders, academics and artists who have made an impact in our community, and the world.  From podcasts to poetry, music, film and books, many of the works listed here emphasize stories with a particular connection to the Pacific Northwest and UW community. Share your favorite resources with us @uofwalibraries (Instagram)

Cover image for Jacob Lawrence in Seattle

Jacob Lawrence in Seattle

“Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) is widely recognized as one of the most important American artists of the 20th century. He is best known for epic multi-panel narratives like the Migration Series (1940-1941) and Struggle: from the History of the American People (1954-56), which he created as a young artist living and working in in New York City. The second half of Lawrence’s career, which he spent in Seattle as a Professor of Art at the University of Washington, has received far less attention. The essays in this volume, researched and written by the participants in the Spring 2021 art history seminar “Art and Seattle: Jacob Lawrence” at the University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design, help fill in this gap.” Read the book.

The Long Shadows of Seattle  podcast series that explores the stories of important people that made an impact on Seattle’s history of racial justice and political activism. Using collections from the University of Washington Libraries’ Special Collections, host Stellan Harris guides you through the lives of some of Seattle’s hidden figures.

One image from Image of protest on UW campus from The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project.

From The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project:

UW Special Collections:

UW Special Collections holds rare books and images that share the stories of Black history through the lens of Black authors, artists and activists, offering a one-of-a-kind perspective that only primary sources can impart. The following selections are but a few examples:

UW Libraries Ethnomusicology Archives The UW Ethnomusicology Archives has been collecting and curating unique ethnographic music recordings, films, and video since 1962. It holds a trove of unique recordings and films documenting music from around globe, and around the block.

Explore the work of these black artists with historic ties to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest:

  • Charlemae Hill Rollins and the Spencer Shaw Historical Children’s Book Collection

    Spencer Shaw telling stories to group of young children

    Spencer G. Shaw, a University of Washington professor emeritus of Library Science was a nationally recognized storyteller and advocate for children’s reading. Born in Hartford in 1917, Dr. Shaw was among the first African American librarians to integrate the professional ranks of the Hartford Public Library, becoming the first African American librarian hired by the library system.   Dr. Shaw honed the craft of storytelling and earned a reputation for captivating children and adults alike with the folk tales he uncovered from ethnic traditions the world over. He had a long and illustrious career as a librarian and educator including his tenure with the UW from 1970 to 1986. Dr. Shaw knew many children’s authors & his important collection of books, many inscribed to him, came to Special Collections as his gift in 2010 when he passed away.

    Charlemae Hill Rollins

    Dr. Shaw’s collection at UW Libraries features several works by Charlemae Hill Rollins including Black Troubadour: Langston Hughes, winner of the 1971 Coretta Scott King Book Award. This copy was given to UW Libraries by Spencer G. Shaw and is inscribed by the author to Shaw. Rollins was a pioneering librarian, author and storyteller. Undeterred by the racist, segregated policies that prevented black children from attending school in Oklahoma, Rollins’s family founded a school which Rollins attended as a child. She went on to Howard University and later became a children’s librarian at the Chicago Public Library in 1927.  During her thirty-one years as head librarian of the children’s department as well as after her retirement, she instituted substantial reforms in children’s literature. She authored four books highlighting the achievements of black leaders, authors and artists.

    First-editions of landmark historical narratives within UW Special Collections:

    Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. By Frederick Douglas, 1845.  Written by the famous orator and former slave, this narrative recounts Douglass’s life as a slave and his ambition to become a free man. It is generally held to be the most famous of a number of narratives written by former slaves during the same period. Considered to be one of the most influential pieces of American literature, it fueled the abolitionist movement of the early 19th century in the United States.

    Narrative of Sojourner Truth : a northern slave, emancipated from bodily servitude by the state of New York,1850. An American abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Truth was included in Smithsonian magazine’s list of the “100 Most Significant Americans of All Time”. Truth dictated her memoirs to her friend Olive Gilbert resulting in this narrative, published in 1850. The copy in Special Collections is one of the first editions.

    From the UW Libraries Labor Archives:

    Earl George

    The papers and photographs of Earl George: George was a Black worker and leader, labor and civil rights activist, and photographer.  He participated in the Seattle General Strike of 1919 as a longshore worker. He also became the first Black president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 9 in 1938. He worked towards combatting racial discrimination, including a 1948 campaign that succeeded in dismantling racist hiring practices of Seattle-area grocery stores. As a photographer for a number of political publications, including the Communist Party, George’s papers also include photographs of community activists and political actions happening around the city in the late 20th century.

    The Tyree Scott papers and photograph collections as well as the papers of Scott’s partner, Beverly Sims: Scott and Sims were Black labor organizers in Seattle. Tyree led the United Construction Workers Association and devoted his time to combatting racial discrimination in the labor movement. Beverly Sims was one of the first Black women to complete the IBEW electrician apprenticeship program and also worked for the Northwest Labor Employment and Law Office. She sadly passed away last year. A portion of the Tyree Scott and Earl George photographs have been digitized and are accessible in the digital collections database.

    Start Your Research:

    The UW Libraries Research Guide for African American history is an expertly curated resource hub for primary and secondary sources including databases, journal articles and access to collections like the Black Freedom Struggle of the 20th century, NAACP papers and more.

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Stories

UW Librarian Receives International Honor

January 17, 2025
At the reception, Velemir Gjurin receives the award on behalf of Prof. Biggins from the President of the State Council of the Republic of Slovenia,  Marko Lotrič, and Secretary General of the State Council of the Republic of Slovenia, Monika Kirbiš Rojs.

Michael Biggins, UW Affiliate Professor; Slavic, Baltic, and East European Studies Librarian, was recently honored with the prestigious 2024 VTIS Award by the Društvo VTIS (Society of Slovenes Educated Abroad) at its annual recognition event on December 23 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the nation’s capital. The “Vtis leta,” or the “impact of the year” award, honors an individual or organization for their notable impact on elevating the cultural, educational, professional or commercial profile of Slovenia in the world.   The award was presented by President of the State Council of the Republic of Slovenia,  Marko Lotrič, together with the Secretary General of the State Council of the Republic of Slovenia Monika Kirbiš Rojs.

While Prof. Biggins was unable to attend the event in person, Velemir Gjurin, who first taught Slovenian to Biggins and others as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Kansas in1979-80, accepted the award on his behalf. The audience was able to hear remarks from Prof. Biggins in a pre-recorded speech. In addition, a commemorative bronze plaque honoring the 2024 awardee will be placed on the back of a bench in Reformation Park in Ljubljana, alongside plaques for the previous ten honorees.

“Congratulations to the recipient of the VTIS award in 2024: polyglot, translator and lecturer at the University of Washington in Seattle, Professor Dr. Michael Biggins, for the exceptional promotion of Slovenian literature in the United States,”  remarked  Secretary General Monika Kirbiš Rojs. “Through his work and dedication to preserving Slovenian literature and language in a foreign environment, Professor Biggins is proof that our Slovenian culture transcends borders and leaves a lasting mark”.

“I am so honored to receive this award that highlights a lifetime’s effort to advance Slovenian studies. I hope to “translate” the award and build on the relationships forged with many in VTIS to benefit students drawn to this fascinating subject of study at the University of Washington for many decades to come,” says Biggins.

The VTIS Society aims to connect Slovenian professionals with their colleagues throughout the  world.  With more than 2,700 members who have studied or worked in 55 countries, the Society aims to “enable the circulation of ideas and experiences that recognize Slovenia not only for its natural beauty, but also for the intellectual power of its people.”Prof. Biggins has been honored several times throughout his career for his work to preserve, share and teach Slovenian culture and literature. He recently launched a travel abroad program bringing UW students to Slovenia for an immersive educational experience. Learn more.

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Stories

January Update

January 9, 2025

Happy New Year, Huskies! We hope you are having a great start to winter quarter and 2025! We know the transition between holiday breaks and returning to classes can sometimes be overwhelming, so remember that you can always ASK US for help 24/7! Grad students –  applications for winter quarter programs are due soon, so don’t put off learning more about these fantastic teaching and learning opportunities.  Be sure to check out our “rockin’ ” new exhibit and special events this month, including winter book club RealLit, film screenings and the always-popular New Year celebration at the Tateuchi East Asia Library! 

In honor of MLK Day 2025 (Monday, January 20), please join us in celebration and reflection on Martin Luther King’s life and legacy with UW Libraries featured resources– streaming media, books and more to explore.

News and Stories

UW Libraries SGN exhibit continues to travel: Western Washington University’s Viking Union Gallery to present UW Libraries’ 2024 exhibit “Seattle Gay News Celebrates 50!” – Read the story

Applications Due

Scholar’s Studio
Proposals due: February 7, 2025, 11:59 p.m. (PT)
Scholars’ Studio is a fun, informal event that features 10 rapid-fire ignite-style presentations (5 minutes each) given by graduate students and postdocs doing research on topics related to an interdisciplinary theme.  Hosted by the UW Libraries Research Commons and The Graduate School, Scholars’ Studio gives students the opportunity to share their research across disciplines, make connections and build presentation skills. The Scholars’ Studio event is open to any research, practice, or teaching topic in any discipline. Learn more.

Research Communication and Equity Fellowship
Applications open on January 21 and close February 9. Information session for potential applicants on January 30 from 11:30-12:30
This program celebrates the academic and creative work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) graduate students. Each Fellow creates a physical artifact that visually communicates their research. These artifacts take many forms: posters, artwork, visualizations, etc. Students come from across the UW Seattle campus in programs from law to biology. Learn more.

Community Events and Exhibits

NEW EXHIBIT: Celebrating The Rocket, Seattle’s Music Magazine
Monday, Jan 10 – Saturday, Feb 15, 2025  AND SPECIAL EVENT, January 28
Join us for a special in-person celebration of the exhibit, Celebrating The Rocket, Seattle’s Music Magazine showcasing 20 years of music and culture as told through the pages of “The Rocket,” the influential Seattle publication that covered music venues and regional bands including Mudhoney, Nirvana, Sir-Mix-A-Lot, Sleater-Kinney, and Soundgarden during the 1980s and 1990s. On January 28, tour the exhibit and hear from DJ John Vallier and remarks from John Keister, Seattle-based comedian, writer, rock critic, and former writer and editor for The Rocket! Learn more.

Recommended Reads for Equity  –  Help  Build Our Collection:
Submit a book recommendation now-end of winter quarter!
Submissions to grow the Odegaard Library Recommended Reads for Equity collection are needed! Recommended Reads for Equity engages the UW community in reading, critical thinking and community building; all of which are essential to lifelong learning and engaged citizenship. Guided by the UW community, Odegaard Library collects recommendations for books about equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. The collection is located on the 2nd floor of Odegaard Library and you can see all of the current recommendations on our LibGuide. We are excited to grow our collection and deepen our understanding of and commitment to equity at UW.  While this is primarily a Seattle based collection, we also prioritize access through ebooks. We encourage all community members from all three campuses to submit recommendations through our online form

An image from an article in the 1979 Research Resources Reporter titled “The Problems and Promises of Artificial Intelligence,”  from the digital gallery of the traveling exhibit “Promising Future, Complex Past” on display at the UW Health Sciences Library

NEW EXHIBIT: Promising Future, Complex Past by the National Library of Medicine
Monday, Jan 6 – Saturday, Feb 15, 2025
Explore the intricate history and future implications of artificial intelligence through the lens of physiognomy. This exhibition delves into the ethical, social, and technological aspects of AI, offering a thought-provoking experience. Learn more.

New Year Celebration at Tateuchi East Asia Library!
Thursday, January 30
Join us for a vibrant New Year celebration featuring East Asian cultural performances, with the highlight being a Japanese tea ceremony experience. Enjoy light snacks as we embrace the festive spirit of East Asian traditions. View the calendar

EXHIBIT: Exploring East Asia’s Cultural Heritage Through Illustrated Works,
Ongoing through Monday, March 31, 2025
The Tateuchi East Asia Library’s Special Collection Exhibit brings together a rich array of illustrated materials from China, Japan and Korea, highlighting the cultural, technological, and artistic achievements of each region. Highlights include: Chinese local gazetteers, geographic landscapes, and ancient manuscripts on craftsmanship and technology, offering a glimpse into traditional Chinese practices and innovations. Japanese Ukiyo-e and Cartography will let you dive into Edo-era daily life and travel, brought to life through ukiyo-e prints and historical maps, including the iconic Tōkaidō travel route. Through illustrations on Korean ceremonial rites and medicine, you will discover the Confucian traditions of the Chosŏn Dynasty through ceremonial texts and medicinal practices that shaped Korean society. Learn more.

Love, Taipei: Pop-up Exhibit @ TEAL & Online Film Festival @ TaiwanPlus
Ongoing through Wednesday, April 30, 2025
In partnership with the UW Tateuchi East Asia Library, TaiwanPlus, and Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program welcomes you to Love, Taipei—a pop-up exhibit at TEAL in November 2024 and an online film festival on TaiwanPlus. Love, Taipei is inspired by romance films set in the greater Taipei area. Curated by the TFAI and hosted on TaiwanPlus, the festival brings together eight digitally remastered Taiwanese films. Learn more.Ander & Santi Were Here

Real Lit Book Club Winter Selection and Meetings: Ander & Santi Were Here
Tuesdays (online), beginning  January 7, 2025 at 12:30-1:20 p.m., until the end of winter quarter.
In collaboration with the Center for Equity and Inclusion, the UW Tacoma Library’s award-winning social justice book club, Real Lit[erature] has selected the featured book for winter quarter — Ander & Santi Were Here, by award-winning author Jonny Garza Villa! A teaser about the book: “…a YA contemporary love story… about a nonbinary Mexican American teen falling for the shy new waiter at their family’s taqueria. Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.” Students receive copies of books on a first-come, first-serve basis. Learn more.

Learning Workshops and Office Hours

2025 Tateuchi East Asia Library Digital Scholarship Series is a dynamic program showcasing cutting-edge research by faculty in the fields of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese (CJKT) studies. This series highlights how innovative digital tools and methodologies are transforming East Asian scholarship, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and broadening the impact of research within and beyond academia.

  • Series #1: Towards a Computational Analysis of Early Chinese Poeticity, with Gian Rominger, Assistant Professor, Asian Languages and Literature, Wednesday, Jan.22: This presentation highlights a numbers of interrelated projects in the domain of Text Analysis for the purposes of Digital Philology that are tailored to issues inherent in the approaches to early Chines texts from the pre-imperial and early imperial era in China. Learn more

Research Remix: JSTOR AI- January 14: Join UW Libraries and Learning Technologies for a demo and discussion on how you might incorporate the JSTOR AI beta tool into your research. Learn More

Personal Privacy on Your Phone- January 16: If you’re thinking about your digital privacy, then you know that your phone is probably not very private. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll help you assess what information your phone is leaking, think through what steps you can take to plug up the leaks without losing functionality, and spend some time adjusting settings and apps to be more privacy-friendly. Learn more.

ProQuest TDM Workshop (online)- January 17:  Learn how to use ProQuest TDM Studio, a cloud-based tool allowing researchers at UW the ability to text data mine (TDM) large sets of content published in news, scholarly, and other publications that the University of Washington Libraries licenses from ProQuest.

Privacy with Cookies- January 28: Interested in practical steps to protect your privacy? Drop by the Open Scholarship Commons anytime between 3 and 5pm to participate in activities like creating your own secure password. Grab one of our privacy checklists to work through with us or to take and work on later. Learn more.

Drop-In Help and Office Hours

Digital Scholarship Project Help Office Hours
Tuesday, Jan 28, 2025, 2 – 3 p.m.
Learn about getting started with digital projects at UW. We offer consultations for research and course related projects. Examples include support for digital publishing, building digital exhibits, and more! We can help you find the right tools, resources and instruction whether you’re just getting started or are working on an on-going project. Come ask us about the Libraries digital scholarship infrastructure tools (Manifold, Omeka, etc.).  This service is available only to current UW faculty, students, and staff.

Coming Soon

  • First Wednesday Concert Series in Allen Library lobby, Feb 5, 2025, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

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Stories

Choices for textbooks: Student survey and focus group findings

December 12, 2024
Re-posted from UW Tacoma Library, originally posted on  by piroga

How do you get access to course materials? What would you consider a reasonable price for a textbook? These were two of the questions we asked UWT students in spring 2024 about their experiences acquiring and using textbooks and course materials. Open to all current undergraduate and graduate students, we heard from 180 students that high textbook costs are hard to bear but when choices are actively promoted, students can find affordable books that work for them.

Since 2018, the UWT Library has purchased textbooks $75 and over as part of our course reserves program — textbooks and other materials required for classes and made available for short-term checkout at the Library. Our textbook purchasing is modeled after a similar program at the UW Bothell/Cascadia College Library where a survey of their students found $75 as the maximum amount students felt they could pay for a textbook.

Our survey showed Tacoma students were comfortable with a much lower price range for textbooks — $32 – $42. To reduce costs, students searched for free copies online, purchased from online retailers and searched for used editions, and used the Library’s course reserves program. Unfortunately, these strategies didn’t work for all students or for all assigned books. 51% of students continued taking a course without having the required texts, 18% received a poor grade in a class because they couldn’t afford the course materials, and 25% did not take, dropped, or withdrew from a class because of an expensive textbook.

“I have had to purchase so many textbooks, many of which I will never read again. It’s a lot of money. I think requiring expensive textbooks is not inclusive or equitable.” – survey response

In addition to these responses highlighting the negative impact of expensive textbooks, we heard from students in a series of focus groups that choices and having adequate time to make choices was the best way for them to alleviate the burden of expensive books.

Focus group participants started their search for textbooks by looking for free or low-cost books first and would purchase a new textbook as a last resort. The sooner students found out what their assigned books would be the more time they had to search for the best option. Students mentioned using and appreciating having a free option for textbooks through the Library but all students agreed that the current four-hour checkout period was not long enough.

“If a textbook is available for a four-hour checkout period but you have another class that begins in an hour… actually it would only be available for an hour.” – focus group student

Based on both survey and focus group feedback, the Library increased the length of time students can check out course reserves from four hours to 24 hours at the start of this autumn quarter. Now, students can keep Library course reserves throughout a full day on campus and take textbooks home overnight. We also updated our website to make it clearer that course reserves are textbooks for checkout, not books that need to stay in the Library.

Donated books at the UWT Library Textbook Swap (photo credit: Amanda Pirog)

To provide an additional option for textbooks we piloted a textbook swap in the Library for the first three weeks of autumn quarter. The textbook swap will be returning at the end of this quarter (Monday, December 2 – Friday, December 13) in the Snoqualmie Building lobby. Students can also donate and browse used books at any time by visiting the UWT Little Free Library on the fourth floor of the TLB.

When students mentioned wanting to find out about their textbooks as soon as possible, they consistently noted the important role that faculty play in sharing both the title of texts and available options for free or low-cost materials on campus.

 “I would like to hear from them [professors].” – focus group student

“I wish professors would encourage us to use it [course reserves]” – survey response

With this feedback in mind, Library staff reached out to Faculty Assembly Executive Council and on November 15 presented our survey and focus groups findings. As winter quarter approaches, we will continue talking with faculty and campus partners. We look forward to continued conversations and promoting choices for UWT students to access textbooks and course materials.

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Stories

Game On! A New Odegaard Tradition is Here to Stay

December 5, 2024
A packed room during September Game Night

On September 30, nearly 800 people gathered at Odegaard Library’s Tabletop Game Night! As part of Dawg Daze Welcome Week, it was a great opportunity for incoming students to meet new people and start the year off with a night of fun by playing board games together. Dozens of games were available to play from Odegaard’s Game Collection and staff facilitators recommended games and helped match solo players with groups. Attendees also had the chance to meet students from some of UW’s tabletop gaming RSOs who attended and helped run games including: Pen & Paper Gaming Association, Board Games @ UW, Yugioh Club, Pokemon Trainer Club, Chess Club, and Husky Gaming Nation.  

Based on survey responses, many attendees said the best part of the event was meeting new people and meeting students across different programs. “Staff friendliness” and “help finding games” were also mentioned. 

“I liked that staff members helped people find games and groups to join.” 

 – Game Night Participant

Libraries staff helping to make Game Night a great success!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

The Dawg Daze Tabletop Game Night in September was made possible by the generous support of the UW Parents Collections and Programs Endowed Fund. Starting in fiscal year 2024-25, game collection purchases are being funded from the Herschel V. III and Janet Schraegle Jones Endowed Library Fund and game events are being funded through the Parents Fund. 

Because Game Night was such a hit, Odegaard’s game team decided to plan and host quarterly game events for students throughout the year!  

Why Board Games? Why Libraries?

One of the Libraries’ key strategic directions is to enhance the student experience. We strive to   do this through activities and programs that encourage student success, belonging, inclusion, and the holistic well-being of diverse student populations. A desire to update and refresh programming for new student events led to the initial idea. A lot of Odegaard staff play board games and tabletop roleplaying games themselves, so we were excited to find a way to share those interests with students! We held the first Game Night in 2023 which led to the development of a new board game collection at Odegaard.  Through this experience, we learned that UW students are eager to make personal connections, and that games and other social activities are an important way of facilitating those connections for new students.

Through Game Nights, we hope to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for students to connect during their transition to university life; showcase the Libraries as a vital community hub; and raise awareness about our collections and services, including the Odegaard Game Collection! 

FUN FACT: As of December 4, 2024, the game collection as a whole has a 528% turnover rate— that means that each game in the collection has been checked out an average of 5 times each. At any given time, one-third to one-half of the games in the collection are checked out—so students are definitely responding to the new collection! We hope that the games are helping them foster fun social time with friends, family, and new acquaintances.

Gaming is Good for You!

Taking breaks from work and studying is important for your mental and physical health. Not scheduling time for breaks can lead to stress and burnout. We want to encourage UW students to take some time out of their busy schedules to play board games with their friends. We hope that the game collection can help students find a work-life balance that includes extracurricular fun. But games aren’t just for fun and social connection — although that’s the most important part! Games can also foster critical thinking, strategic thinking and learning, and there are a handful of classes at UW that study games more closely. Odegaard Library’s Curriculum Support team even uses card games in our information literacy workshops!

So, When Can I Play?

Odegaard will host themed game events each quarter. The first game event after Dawg Daze, “Card Games & Cup Noodles”, was held on October 30th. The next game event will be “Games For Two” on February 13th, but you can check out games from the collection at any time! And of course, we look forward to continuing this new tradition for incoming students with an even “bigger and better” 2025 Dawg Daze Game Night!

If you have questions about Odegaard’s Game Collection or upcoming game events at the library, please visit the Odegaard Game Collection Library Guide.

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