During this election cycle, the amount of news and information coming our way can be overwhelming. From knowing where to go to vote, to evaluating claims and misinformation, our Libraries guides and resources can help you navigate and find reliable sources.
Don’t miss out on the Democracy in Focus campus lecture series, Democracy Dawgs and lists of campus-wide resources.
Check out,Pep talks for voting, with videos on topics like how to vote, what other students think about voting and why it’s worth it.
Did you know?
University of Washington has one of the highest voter participation rates of any college or university in the nation? This legacy of civic participation — that #HuskiesVote — is something we can all be proud of. And it’s something we can continue. Remember to vote by Nov. 5.
While Oct. 28 is the last day for online voter registration in Washington state, those eligible to vote can register in person all the way up to Election Day. On the Seattle campus, the Voter Education Center will be open in the HUB Nov. 1, 2, 4 and 5 (closed on Sunday) and is a place where folks can register.
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Stories
New Exhibit: The Language of Flowers
September 16, 2024
By Kat Lewis, Special Projects Curator
Enjoy the changing seasons with Special Collections through our annual lobby exhibit, The Language of Flowers. Each quarter will feature new material related to our botanical collections, local plants, and more. Launching September 2024 for the year.
Flowers, their language, poetry, and sentiment, with choicest extracts from poets, a dictionary of the sentiment of every flower, botanical descriptions, &c. 1871; Philadelphia, Porter & Coates
Plants make us happier and improve our environment, so this year we are bringing the cheer of the outdoors into the basement of Suzzallo-Allen with our botanical and plant related collection items. From time immemorial, plants, flowers and trees have been a subject of interest across diverse areas of study. From scientists, to poets, sociologists and philosophers, the meaning we place upon our photosynthesizing friends is ubiquitous and comforting. We as humans possess an innate need to seek connection with other forms of life, so even as urban environments grow and technology changes, our fascination with the natural world never ceases.
The exhibit title comes from floriography, a means of communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. This practice was extremely popular in Victorian England and the US as a way of outwardly flirting or communicating impolite topics through code. In Japan, Hanakotoba was also a popular form of storytelling and emoting through the expressive arrangement of flowers.
Icones of the essential forest trees of Hokkaido Miyabe, Kingo, 1860-1950, 1920-1932; Sapporo Hokkaido governmentThe Fairy princess Foster, Anne,1977The century book of gardening : a comprehensive work for every lover of the garden, edited by E.T. Cook; 1900
Every quarter the material in the exhibit will rotate according to the seasons, showcasing the autumnal leaves, winter terrane, spring blossoms and summer produce. Through these rotations we hope to convey the breadth of information in Special Collections about botanical life, gardening, and connection to the natural world from the Pacific Northwest and documented in our collections.
If you are a fan of book bindings and historical cover design, come check out the section on Margaret Armstrong, a prolific 19th and early 20th century book cover designer, illustrator and author. Her work is strongly associated with botanical imagery, her illustrations influencing Art Nouveau, and her having written and researched a comprehensive guide to the wildflowers of the American West, Field Book of Western Wild Flowers. Her book and many of her covers will be featured throughout the run of the exhibit.
Image: Cascade PBS.org
We are excited to host several events this year related to the exhibit including a talk by Taha Ebrahimi, author of Street Trees of Seattle (date to be announced soon!). Keep an eye on the Special Collections and Libraries’ events calendars and social media accounts for information on upcoming events. Additionally, you can see a selection of digitized materials from the exhibit and find the entire object list through our digital exhibit.
University of Washington Libraries’ Special Collections collects, preserves and makes accessible the Libraries most rare and unique holdings, including rare books, manuscripts, papers, records, photographs, moving images, ephemera, architectural drawings and more. Students, faculty and the community come to Special Collections from all over the world for primary sources that are integral to their research.
If you have questions or want to make an appointment to see a particular exhibit item up close, we encourage you to make a reading room appointment in Special Collections or email us at [email protected].
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Stories
Zeitgeist: Seattle in the 20s
September 16, 2024
Dancer Zora in dance pose, approximately 1925; Theater, Motion Picture and Entertainment Photograph Collection, UW Libraries Special Collections
By Kat Lewis and Karalee Harris
UW Libraries’ newest exhibit in Special Collections, Zeitgeist: Seattle in the 20s, is all about the air and social consciousness of Seattle in the ‘20s-–both the 1920s and today! We are excited to spotlight the depths of our historical collections that speak to “the spirit of the age” 100 years ago and to shine a light on how UW Libraries is stewarding the artifacts of our current history including newly acquired contemporary publications.
Despite numerous notable differences, such as political ideologies that resulted in segregation and discrimination, the Seattle of the 1920s and the Seattle of today navigate their shared societal unrest similarly through a tenacious focus on activism and the arts.
The twenties roared into Seattle through a burgeoning jazz scene, flapper culture, and the rise of consumerism. Theaters, art galleries and the literature scene flourished along with the success of the Boeing Aircraft Company, contributing to Seattle’s reputation as a hub of innovation. At the same time, the 18th Amendment’s enactment in 1920 ushered in the Prohibition Era, making production and distribution of alcohol illegal and facilitating a wild black market in Seattle. Speakeasies proliferated throughout the city despite efforts to enforce Prohibition laws.
“Zeitgeist” is a German term that translates to “spirit of the age” or “spirit of the time.” It refers to the prevailing cultural, intellectual, and moral climate or mood of a particular period, especially as it is reflected in the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes. Essentially, it encapsulates the collective consciousness and mood of a society at a specific point in history.
LEFT: Seattle Chamber of Commerce promotional booklet from 1926; RIGHT: Wanderlust Seattle: a creative guide to the city, 2020, by Betsy Beier
The concept of zeitgeist suggests that certain ideas, values, and trends are characteristic of a particular era and shape the way people think and behave.
The “Roaring Twenties” in the United States is often described as a period characterized by a zeitgeist of optimism, social change, and economic prosperity, as reflected in the rise of jazz music, the popularity of flapper culture, and the booming stock market. But how much of this is just hindsight?
These questions and events are explored in the exhibit through primary historical documents and pieces of modern history. For example, the Nippon Kan Theater, a former local Japanese Theater located in the International District, photograph, moving image and ephemera collection showcases a unique and often overlooked perspective on the cultural identity of Seattle in the 1920s.
The images above show performers and the building of the Nippon Kan Theatre, located at 622-628 Washington Street in Seattle, Washington, constructed in 1909. Sometimes referred to as Nippon Kan Hall, it would endure as a community focal point of Seattle’s Nihonmachi (“Japantown”) for over thirty years. Performances held at the Nippon Kan were both Western and traditional Japanese music, dance, and theater.
Explore the digital exhibit online!
Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to contribute to community vision boards online or in-person which, by the end of the exhibit, will visually reflect the zeitgeist of Seattle today.
Additionally, you can see a selection of digitized materials from the exhibit and find the entire object list through the digital exhibit, exploring the zeitgeist of Entertainment, Fashion, Culture and Place.
University of Washington Libraries’ Special Collections collects, preserves and makes accessible the Libraries most rare and unique holdings, including rare books, manuscripts, papers, records, photographs, moving images, ephemera, architectural drawings and more. Students, faculty and the community come to Special Collections from all over the world for primary sources that are integral to their research.
If you have questions or want to make an appointment to see a particular exhibit item up close, we encourage you to make a reading room appointment in Special Collections or email us at [email protected].
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Stories
Library Preservation Internship Spotlight
September 9, 2024
Toni Heilman
James Leland Dirks, Jr. Library Preservation Intern 2025
I applied to the University of Washington’s MLIS program with a strong desire to work in the field of archives and preservation. Upon starting my courses, I found myself wanting to find an outside experience that would let me gain relevant skills and knowledge. The Dirks Internship was just what I needed, as it built upon hands-on experience I had from a previous role with both experiential learning and exposure to the theory behind how and why things are done.
My fall and winter quarters were initially spent doing deep-dives into preservation theory, archival principles, and learning the ways the environment can impact different kinds of materials. Eventually, I transitioned into hands-on experiences with binding, disaster response, digitization, conservation, media preservation, and digital preservation experts within the University of Washington Libraries. One project of note was ensuring that the digitized copies of The Daily had accurate Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This process provided me with an in-depth understanding of the capabilities of OCR and the challenges it poses to those trying to implement it. Overall, these first two quarters provided me with a foundational understanding of what it means to work in preservation as well as the different duties that fall under that umbrella.
My fall and winter quarters were initially spent doing deep-dives into preservation theory, archival principles, and learning the ways the environment can impact different kinds of materials. Eventually, I transitioned into hands-on experiences with binding, disaster response, digitization, conservation, media preservation, and digital preservation experts within the University of Washington Libraries. One project of note was ensuring that the digitized copies of The Daily had accurate Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This process provided me with an in-depth understanding of the capabilities of OCR and the challenges it poses to those trying to implement it. Overall, these first two quarters provided me with a foundational understanding of what it means to work in preservation as well as the different duties that fall under that umbrella.
I will forever be grateful for the education and experience I received as the Dirks Intern, and I look forward to applying my new skills upon my graduation in 2026.
Toni Heilman is from Las Vegas, Nevada and completed her B.A. in History at Miami University of Ohio in 2024. Wanting to explore her potential career paths, she found a job at Miami University’s Walter Havighurst Special Collections where she worked in digitization and conservation for almost the entirety of her undergraduate career. It was there that she gained a passion for archives, special collections, and the vocation of protecting important artifacts. She quickly decided this would be her career path, and she hasn’t turned back.
Stories
September Update
August 30, 2024
Welcome, Huskies! Whether it’s your first or final year at UW, the Libraries will be an important part of your UW experience. This month is all about Dawg Daze! From library tours to karaoke, board games and prizes, the Libraries Dawg Daze are packed with fun and informative events for all interests. Don’t forget to bookmark our updated Student Guide and sign-up now for our annual Constitution Reading in early October. And remember…the UW Libraries are here for you, Huskies!
News and Stories
Welcome Message From Dean Simon Neame: Read Dean Neame’s message to all students, faculty, staff and the community for the 2024/2025 academic year. Read the message.
Showcasing BIPOC Student Research: Learn about theResearch Communication and Equity Fellowship showcase at the UW Libraries’ Research Commons celebrating the academic and creative work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) graduate students.See their work.
Readers Wanted – Annual Constitutional Reading October 9! UW Libraries annual Constitution Read Aloud event encourages students, faculty, staff and community members to join us in reading the full text of the Constitution, along with our special guest speakers! A great activity for your class, office or community service group to participate in – all ages welcome. Sign-up to read and learn more.
Community /Events /Exhibits
New exhibit: Zeitgeist: Seattle in the ‘20s –UW Libraries Special Collections will be exploring the zeitgeist of Seattle in the ’20s–100 years ago and today! Join us in exploring popular culture and current events of Seattle in the 1920s and 2020s!
“Strolling Gold” 3D Calligraphy Exhibit + Event-See and appreciate the wonderful art of “Strolling Gold” calligraphy, first created by Layman, a Chinese immigrant, poet laureate, translator, inventor, entrepreneur, and calligrapher.
The Language of Flowers Exhibit:Enjoy the changing seasons with Special Collections through our annual lobby exhibit, “The Language of Flowers”. Each quarter will feature new material related to our botanical collections, local plants, and more!
Dawg Daze Events
UW Libraries staff have been working hard to create an amazing line-up of fun and informative events to introduce you to the Libraries, meet other students and have fun!LEARN MORE!
Tabletop Game Night at Odegaard Library- 9/20
Arts Libraries Welcome Table -9/24/, 9/25/ and 9/26
Learn about the Health Sciences Library and Meet Dubs- 9/23
Mathematics Research Library Games Day- 9/24
UW Libraries Silent Reading Party-September 9/25
Zeitgeist: Seattle in the ’20s Exhibit Opening Reception- 9/ 25
Make Your Own Floral Bookmark! – 9/26
Distinctive Collections 101, 9/2
Looking Ahead
Workshops at the Open Scholarship Commons are back! Upcoming events include Finding Datasets, Introduction to Data Visualization, Accessible Data Visualization, and ATLAS.ti Training.
UW Libraries in the Classroom: Co-Creatingand Publishing Books in Class: Explore three unique online books created and published by students this year! Covering diverse topics including architecture theory, the history of UW sports and Filipino/a/x heritage, these online collaborations are made possible with UW Libraries resources and instruction. Read the story.
Reflections on UW Libraries Global Engagement: Insights from the Libraries’ first year of Global Engagement programming that brought international scholars together with UW and local communities to explore a wide variety of topics related to international events, geo-political trends and research on those themes. Read the story.
To get this news delivered straight to your inbox, sign-up for blog alerts at the top of this page!
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Stories
Showcasing BIPOC Graduate Student Work
August 29, 2024
The Research Communication and Equity Fellowship showcase at the UW Libraries’ Research Commons celebrates the academic and creative work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) graduate students.
The display at the Research Commons featuring the students’ research artifacts.
The UW Libraries Research Commons is a space for interdisciplinary, innovative and collaborative student work. In its second year, the Research Communication and Equity Fellowshipseeks to create a more equitable research environment by dedicating public space to highlight the research of BIPOC graduate students. The fellowship emphasizes graduate students engaged in interdisciplinary work, open access projects and digital scholarship methodologies. Each Fellow creates a physical artifact that visually communicates their research which can take many forms– posters, artwork, visualizations, etc., and those artifacts are displayed in the Research Commons.
“We’re excited to be able to celebrate the work of BIPOC graduate students at the UW and are grateful for their energy and time in contributing to research for the public good,” says Negeen Aghassibake, program co-lead and UW Libraries Data Visualization Librarian.
Fellows come from across the UW Seattle campus representing a wide range of studies. The five fellowships awarded in 2024 include students from Public Health, Information Science, Education, Environmental Affairs and Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies.
2024 Student Fellow Perspectives
An image from Marielle’s virtual booklet that popularizes and visualizes her research on the grassroots activism of mothers of drug war victims in the Philippines. Learn more about Marielle’s work
Marielle Marcaida, a PhD candidate in Feminist Studies:
“When I received news that I got accepted to the library fellowship, I was so happy that I would be able to continue working on my booklet, further refining and expanding it with the help of our amazing librarians, namely Negeen, Madeline, and Cass. To see what once was a final requirement in a course two years ago turn into a library artifact displayed in the Allen Library has been fulfilling; to share the story of the mothers on another platform and with more people has been even more heartening!
I started working on my artifact as a final course requirement last Autumn 2022 in my Abolition Geographies class under Megan Ybarra where I first learned and read about abolitionist scholarship. In that class, I attempted to translate my past and ongoing research into something that is more digestible and visual, and also to decenter the Western scholarship on abolitionism with experiences from the Global South by narrating the story of the Ronda ng Kababaihan (Patrol of Women) mothers’ grassroots initiative under the Philippine drug war.”
Farrah Hasan, a Master’s student in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs:
Farrah’s poster, “Salt Country, Water Scarcity,” is based on her Master’s thesis, “Resilient Destination Cities: Migrant Resettlement in Mongla, Bangladesh.” Learn more about Farrah’s research.
“My research centers migrant experiences in the port city of Mongla, Bangladesh. There are so many themes that came out during analysis of my interviews, but a particularly resonating issue was water scarcity. An important finding was that even though water was a dominating response to the question, “What are you struggling from?” However, it was labor availability that dominated responses to the question “What interventions could improve your quality of life?” It was evident that though water was a livability challenge in the city, migrants were not as open advocating for reform. To amplify their underlying concerns, I decided that water would have to be the center of my artifact.
It was an honor to be amongst such interesting research and seeing what other students produced…I would definitely encourage continuing this format, as I enjoyed working on this autonomously and having you as a support system along the way.”
Learn more about all the 2024 Fellows and their work:
Angela Chen, School of Public Health, Department of Health Systems and Population Health, PhD in Health Services
Farrah Hasan, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, Master’s program
Marielle Marcaida, Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, PhD in Feminist Studies
Chenae White, School of Education, PhD in Special Education
The application date for 2024/2025 Research Communication and Equity Fellowship fellowship are TBD. Follow us on social media and sign-up for Libraries’ monthly updates for the latest news.
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Stories
August News
August 8, 2024
While fall quarter may seem far away, it will be here before you know it! Enjoy these final days of summer while also taking advantage of the great summer events this month for both faculty and students, including the popular Graduate Student Research Institute, and the UW Libraries Most Wanted, covering the UW community’s most requested research topics. We’re also very excited to announce our partnership with the Big Ten Academic Alliance! Keep reading to learn more about all of this month’s news and events, including the fantastic new exhibit in Allen Library, on display only until August 16th! Happy Summer, Huskies!
As the University’s inaugural year of Big Ten affiliation kicks off, you’ll be hearing a lot more about all of the ways this new partnership will positively impact our UW community, including partnership with the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
“For over 65 years, the Big Ten Academic Alliance has led in academic collaboration, creating opportunities and driving innovation across its member universities.”
For the Libraries, this new partnership will be transformative for member institutions, including the creation of the Big Collection, a multi-faceted, multi-year effort to unite the collections of member institutions that, once completed, would represent the third largest library collection in the world! There is so much to celebrate and learn from all of the different ways this alliance will benefit our community – on and off the field.
Book covers from student class publications (LEFT TO RIGHT): Knowledge Kapamilya 2024; 2024 Innovation in the Construction Industry: Case studies by students in CM515: Virtual Construction Management, Spring 2024; Stories From The Place of Sports in The University, 3rd Edition.
UW Libraries in the Classroom: Co-Creating and Publishing Books in Class
Explore three unique new online books created and published by students! Covering diverse topics including architecture theory, the history of UW sports and Filipino/a/x heritage, these online collaborations are made possible with UW Libraries resources and instruction. Read the story.
Reflections on UW Libraries Global Engagement
Insights from the Libraries’ first year of Global Engagement programming that brought international scholars together with UW and local communities to explore a wide variety of topics related to international events, geo-political trends and research on those themes. Read the story.
Community /Events /Exhibits
Celebrating the Jeju Haenyeo: A deep dive into the unique cultural heritage of a remote Korean island
A new exhibit in Allen Library lobby explores this amazing community of women free divers from Jeju Island, Korea. The display offers a captivating glimpse into their lives through photographs and objects, showcasing their bravery a, resilience and remarkable skills that represent a profound cultural heritage at risk. Learn more.
Wednesday, Aug 14, 2024
5–6 p.m. / Special Collections Classroom
Special Collections is hosting a series of book club meetings to discuss primary texts from The Medium is The Message, an exhibit exploring the graphic novel and the potency with which they tell stories of identity, memory, and culture. Join us in the Special Collections Classroom for refreshments and conversation about Incognegro by Mat Johnson.
Through September 2
Step into the world of gods, goddesses, and epic heroes through an assortment of texts, including rare books, illustrated children’s narratives, and unique book arts held in the UW Special Collections. Each piece offers a glimpse into the evolution of these myths, revealing how they have been retold across different periods.
August 19–23 / September 9–13
Online
The GSRI is a free workshop series exploring tools and strategies to help graduate students research smarter, not harder. Students receive five days of online guidance and support from a team of Libraries volunteers as they work through key content and activities from the openly available Graduate Student Research Institute site. There are no required meeting times and learning can take place anytime within the span of the workshop session. Sign up/Learn more
UW Libraries Most Wanted
Don’t miss this online summer workshop series focusing on the tools and topics UW researchers are asking about. We welcome all members of the research community, including graduate students, postdocs, research staff, clinicians, and faculty members. Explore this week of exciting events below.
Monday, Aug 19, 2024
11 a.m.–12 p.m. / Online
Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this session is designed to equip you with the skills needed to gather valuable data from the web. Learn essential techniques for scraping web content effectively. We’ll cover the basics, including best practices and common pitfalls to avoid.
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2024
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. / Online
This online workshop will provide a basic introduction to data visualization, including a high level overview of tools available at the UW, as well as where to find support when creating visualizations.
Wednesday, Aug 21, 2024 12–1 p.m. / Online
We’ll share 10 suggestions for expanding the visibility of your work, tracking the information that’s important to you, and describing the impact of your research when applying for funding, jobs, or promotions. Join us to learn about research impact frameworks, tools for gathering evidence of how your work is being used, and recommended practices for keeping your scholarly profiles up-to-date.
Monday, Aug 19, 2024 1:30–2:30 p.m. / Online
In this workshop, we’ll learn about the roles of publishers, the inner workings of peer review, and the mechanisms for financing scholarly communication. Discover how you can make your research available openly without breaking the bank, and ensure your work reaches its widest audience possible in this online workshop.
Friday, Aug 23, 2024 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. / Online
In this online workshop, you will produce an introduction for a podcast, listen to the introductions of others, learn some level-up tricks for getting good voice/sound recordings, practice using the sound-editing software Audacity, and learn about the importance of accessibility, preservation, open access, and digital safety.
UW Libraries in the Classroom: Co-Creating and Publishing Books in Class
August 8, 2024
What is a knowledge family? How could architects redefine the #Hatch-Mark? What is the place of sports at a university? These questions reflect some of the insights revealed in three new online books created by students, in partnership with UW Libraries, utilizing Pressbooks. In Spring 2024, Open Education Librarian, Lauren Ray, worked with faculty and instructors to introduce students to the Pressbooks platform, and worked with their classes to co-create and publish these unique Pressbooks:
Knowledge Kapamilya 2024 – by Gabbie Mangaser; Madison Calma; Charisse Vales; Delano Cordova; Sierra Paine; and Jay Lundgren. This book was created as a final project for the 2024 cohort of Knowledge Kapamilya, a knowledge family for Filipino/a/x American students at UW. The cohort met on Coast Salish lands at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, using cultural collections from the Philippines to make connections to their personal heritage.
2024 Innovation in the Construction Industry: Case studies by students in CM515: Virtual Construction Management, Spring 2024 – by Prof. Carrie Sturts Dossick’s CM515 Spring 2024 Class. This book provides a collection of case studies about how people adopt new technologies and change practices in design, construction, and operations of the built environment. This is the first open pedagogy project we (UW Libraries) have worked on with the College of Built Environments, as well as the first Pressbooks projects by graduate students in Construction Management.
Stories From The Place of Sports in The University, 3rd Edition – by Students in Professor Jennifer Hoffman’s UW EDUC 200 course. In the 3rd edition, continues examining what is the place of sports at a university? The context is set within the excitement of an incredible sports year on college campuses–from the 2024 media frenzy over women’s college basketball to our own University of Washington football program playing in a National Championship, student contributors examined the impact of these highly visible sports on a campus.
In this blog post we talk more with Lauren Ray and Gabbie Mangaser about these projects, the student experience and how others at UW can work with the Libraries to utilize Pressbooks in their courses.
What is Pressbooks?
Pressbooks is a publishing platform used to create open textbooks or other openly licensed online course materials. This is available for all current UW students, faculty and staff interested in publishing Open Educational Resources through the UW Libraries. The UW Libraries offers personal consultations and Pressbooks offers monthly training webinars.
Origin stories: Tell us more about the history of these books and how they came about?
UW Libraries Open Education Librarian, Lauren Ray: What is particularly special about Knowledge Kapamilya 2024 is that the facilitator of the project, Gabbie Mangaser, Collections Assistant for Oceanic and Asian Arts and Cultures at the Burke Museum, was an undergraduate student in Rick Bonus’s UW AAS360 course in 2019, when we created theUW student-authored Pressbook, Critical Filipinx American Histories and their Artifacts! She was inspired by her work in Prof Bonus’s class and wanted to bring open publishing to this important student-led learning community. I worked with our Copyright Librarian, Maryam Fakouri, who provided guidance for the students on cultural heritage, copyright and intellectual property, while I provided help with Pressbooks and the context of their book as an OER. The students created the cover artwork and collaboratively decided on how they wanted the book to be structured, formatted and licensed.
With 2024 Innovation in the Construction Industry,Professor Dossick learned about Pressbooks through an Open Pedagogy workshop I led last year through the Center for Teaching and Learning. She decided to revamp the class syllabus, having students research an innovation in the construction industry and develop case studies that can be built on in future quarters. The book includes 18 chapters dealing with Innovation, BIM (Building Information Modeling), Robotics, AR/VR/MR, Project Management and Sustainability with additional chapters to be added this summer. Students created the cover artwork, learned about image licensing and IP, and created a contributors section with biographical information.
“I really enjoyed working with these students, who were very motivated to see their hard work made public in this collaborative open publication.”
Stories From The Place of Sports in The University is the third in a series of student-authored books in Prof. Hoffman’s course, The Place of Sports In the University. It’s been incredibly rewarding for me to work so closely with Prof. Hoffman and her students over the years, and to continually improve how we scaffold in lessons on Creative Commons, open publishing and digital scholarship tools (not an easy feat in a class of 60 undergraduate students)! We (along with doctoral student Regena Pauketat) wrote about this work and the course in an article, published in Sports Innovation Journal last year.
“It has been incredibly rewarding for me to work so closely with Prof. Hoffman and her students over the years, and to continually improve how we integrate lessons on Creative Commons, open publishing and digital scholarship tools.”
This year, we took a somewhat different approach, collaborating with UW Libraries Archivist John Bolcer, and Librarians Theresa Mudrock and Anne Davis, to incorporate materials from our digital collection that cover the history of students and sport at UW. During the in-class workshop, students were able to research historical photos from our digital collections, utilizing a class guide that included links to primary source material for the student chapters. I look forward to continuing to work with this class and expanding its connection to UW Libraries Special Collections.
How did the Libraries support your class? What do you think students learned from the experience?
Gabbie Mangaser: The Library team helped us to think about all things to consider when publishing something publicly, and it was a great learning experience regarding copyright. I think it also helped them become more engaged in the course material and topics, since not only are they working toward a final product, but it is accessible globally—their peers, friends, family, future employers even, can view and refer to this project.
Would you recommend a UW Libraries/Pressbooks collab to others?
Gabbie Mangaser: I’ve recommended Pressbooks and working with UW Libraries to so many people since we began working on it. Pressbooks is a great and easy tool to provide accessible content and it’s a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about what goes into publishing.
“I will continue recommending it to folks that are looking for alternative platforms to get their work, their research, and their projects published. It’s such a unique way to disseminate information, which I think a lot of different fields are aiming for. It is easy to use, and working with Libraries is always great!”
Community Response
Gabbie Mangaser: The feedback on the book has been incredible (and it helps that we have such creative and engaged students!). For kapamilya, this is the first year we’ve been able to host a group for Filipino/a/x students focused on Philippine-American history at the Burke. My hope is that kapamilya can continue for years to come, and it certainly helps that now, anyone can look up “Knowledge Kapamilya” and the first search result they see is the ebook!
The Libraries plays a critical role within the university, connecting and converging all disciplines while also serving as a community hub and a cultural bridge by providing outstanding collections, services and programs that foster an inclusive environment for learning and research. Through this work, the Libraries builds collaborative networks within our UW community and beyond.
UW Libraries’ Global Engagement initiative, brings international scholars together with UW and local international communities to explore a wide variety of topics related to global events, geo-political trends and research on those themes. During its inaugural year, Global Engagement, led by Dr. Zhijia Shen, convened multiple speaker series, attracting diverse audiences and creating opportunities to learn, share ideas and build connections.
“It is exciting and satisfying to facilitate such thought-provoking dialogues,” says Dr. Shen. “Seeing a diverse audience enthusiastically participate in the discussions, hearing students talk about how an event has inspired a research topic, contributed to their dissertation, or helped make a personal connection with a scholar – these connections are truly inspiring and fulfilling to be a part of.”
In this post, we’ll share insights from the past year, and provide a look ahead into plans for the 2024/2025 academic year.
Speaker Series: Contemporary China, Russia, Sino-Russo Relations and the Chinese Cultural Revolution*
This series was funded in part through generous support from Professor Hon-Ching Lee and Mrs. Lee, long-time donors and friends of the Libraries, and hosted in partnership with the Jackson School of International Studies, the law school, and additional partners on and off campus. The series featured four eminent international scholars who brought their expertise to the forefront of China and Russia studies through two lectures, a panel session and open discussions.
On the ‘Low Human Rights Advantage’: China, Globalization, and the ‘New Cold War’ by Professor QIN Hui. This session explored the unforeseen consequences of modern economic globalization based on the “low human rights advantage”, a concept introduced by Professor Qin in 2005, sparking significant debate among Chinese intellectuals and the public. His lecture examined the role of this advantage in China’s rise, its implications for globalization, and its impact on U.S.-China relations.
“Russia’s Foreign Wars and Constitutional Developments, and Sino-Russian Relations in Russian History with Professor JIN Yan, explored how Russia’s external expansion and internal authoritarianism have historically linked constitutional reforms to military defeats, while victories reinforced authoritarianism.
The panel discussion, led by Professors QIN Hui, SONG Yongyi, and Dr. ZHOU Yuan focused on the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) and its impact on the understanding of contemporary China, encouraging young scholars to continue their research. They also shared first-hand perspectives in developing the Databases of Contemporary Chinese Political Movements, including the Cultural Revolution, and many e-resources available for scholars outside China.
*The above summaries are a highly condensed overview of very complex, nuanced conversations and discourse.
All sessions were very well attended, attracting audiences from across UW campuses and beyond. Some faculty members brought their entire classes to the lectures. The events drew not only China Studies students and faculty but also many STEM students and faculty, as well as young engineers from local high-tech companies. Some attendees traveled from as far as Vancouver, B.C., and Portland, Oregon.
The open discussions provided opportunities for students and community attendees to engage in open dialogues with faculty, creating a highly interactive event. Speakers addressed their inquiries and delved into topics of contemporary China and Russian history. Many stayed on after the one-hour discussions to continue asking questions. Some brought books to be autographed by the authors.
Learn more
Many UW faculty members conduct research and publish about contemporary China and the Libraries’ resources on these subjects is immense. Here are just a few well-utilized references from the collection:
Reflections: International Perspectives in a “Post-Covid” World
Considering the deep impact of the pandemic on our lives, both physically and mentally, acknowledging persistent challenges and what we can learn or gain from this reflection proved to be an insightful theme for the second set of Global Engagement speaker series. In early summer, UW Libraries Global Engagement, together with UW Libraries colleagues, organized two different events to explore this topic from various perspectives. Attendees expressed their gratitude to UW Libraries for providing this opportunity, especially during a time when anxieties from COVID-19 remain prevalent for many.
Buddhist Culture and Philosophy and Healing from Covid-19 with His Eminence Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche. Collaborating with South Asian Studies, Global Engagement hosted a lecture by Tulku Yeshi Rinpoche, a renowned Tibetan Buddhist master, author of 20 books, Chöd master, Dzogchen Master, poet, healer, artist and astrologer. Yeshi presented a unique perspective on healing through the lens of Buddhist culture and traditions, offering hope and guidance.
Roundtable Presentation: Creating a Haven for Our Hearts – Chinese American Authors Reflect on Their Covid-19 Journey In collaboration with the Northwest Chinese Writers Association, Libraries Global Engagement organized a discussion focusing on the experiences of Chinese American writers during Covid-19 featuring an amazing line-up of renowned authors with incredible and inspiring life stories including Ms. Jian Golder, Ms. LIU Fei, Ms. Alice Flores, and Ms. ZHU Chen. The four distinguished authors contributed to two books, Witnessing the Pandemic: Unforgettable Stories of 2020-2021 and Hidden Trauma, published in 2022 and 2023. They talked openly with students, faculty and community attendees about the profound impact of their writings on healing.
A flyer for the next event: Poetry Is a Soulful Gaze: Layman’s “Walking Gold” 3D Calligraphy
Looking Ahead
According to Dr. Shen, the hope is that Global Engagement events like these will continue to enrich the experience of the UW community, strengthen the ties between UW Libraries and the local community, and inspire future collaborative relationships.
The first event in the new academic year will be an exhibition by a local Chinese immigrant artist, entitled: Poetry Is a Soulful Gaze: Layman’s “Walking Gold” 3D Calligraphy, together with a lecture and tour of the exhibition by the artist. A lecture focusing on South Asian culture is being planned for the winter quarter. To learn about these events, sign up for our blog, check the calendar, and follow UW Libraries on social media. We look forward to seeing you!
A Message of Thanks
From Zhijia Shen, Director of Global Engagement
Organizing and publicizing these impactful events would not have been possible without the unwavering support and assistance from within and beyond UW Libraries. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated student volunteers, Juan Luo and Ray Shi, Libraries Administration Team, and all our colleagues, partners and students whose generous contributions and hard work enabled the great successes of all these events. On behalf of our audience and speakers, thank you all.
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Stories
Celebrating the Jeju Haenyeo: A deep dive into the unique cultural heritage of a remote Korean island
July 19, 2024
Recognized in several of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage Lists, the Jeju Haenyeo are an extraordinary group of women free divers from Jeju Island, Korea, whose remarkable skills and dedication represent a profound cultural heritage– a heritage that is at risk due to the impacts of climate change, shifting populations and other impacts. The Haenyeo’s (Korean: 해녀; lit. sea women) livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean. Known for their independent spirit and determination, Haenyeo are representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju.
“The Haenyeo embody the passion, resilience and wisdom of Korea and the Korean people, (they are) stewards of Korean waters who really epitomize a history-bound sense of environmental sustainability which the rest of the world should revere. The Haenyeo teach us that nurturing a healthy ocean requires deep connection with the water and which lives within– their labor, their wisdom, preserve a disappearing heritage among a disappearing environment.” – Ian Oates, Interim Associate Director of the Center for Korea Studies
A new exhibit in Allen Library lobby explores this amazing community of women divers. The display offers a captivating glimpse into their lives through photographs and objects, showcasing their bravery and resilience.
On July 15, 2024, the exhibit sponsors, Tateuchi East Asia Library, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea welcomed distinguished guests and community members at a special celebration event to officially launch the exhibit.
Image (left to right): Wonjun Kim, President of Greater Seattle Korean American Association; Hyokyoung Yi, Interim Director, Tateuchi East Asia Library; Eunji Seo, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle; Lynne Robinson, Mayor of the City of Bellevue; Ian Oates, interim Associate Director of the Center for Korea Studies
Speakers included Eunji Seo, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle; Lynne Robinson, Mayor of the City of Bellevue; Sam Cho, Commissioner of the Port of Seattle; Ian Oates, Associate Director of the Center for Korea Studies; and Je Deok Ha, CEO of SeattleN.
“The Haneyo tradition spans hundreds of years, if you look back to ancient texts, the practices have been documented as far back as the 17th century, passed down from generation to generation. To me, this is a resounding example of the resilience of Korea, the Korean people and our traditions.” – Sam Cho, Commissioner of the Port of Seattle
The speakers’ remarks added valuable insights and sparked significant interest and dialogue among community members, highlighting the deep connections between history, culture, and the environment.
“There are a lot of women on Jeju Island because men often went to sea and never came back, so many mothers on Jeju Island had to raise their children alone, and that’s how my grandmother (who was a haenyeo) raised my father.” – Je Deok Ha, CEO of SeattleN
A selection of objects and photographs from the exhibit. The “tewak” (or “taewak”) – lower middle image – is a traditional tool used by Jeju Haenyeo. It is a buoyant, spherical flotation device made from hollowed-out gourds or modern materials like plastic or styrofoam. The tewak serves multiple purposes: it helps the Haenyeo rest and float on the surface of the water between dives, and it is also used to store their catch, such as sea urchins, abalone, and other marine products, in a net attached to the buoy. This essential tool allows the Haenyeo to dive more efficiently and safely. The Kakuri -upper right image- is used in multiple ways: divers use it to pull their own bodies through the water, to turn rocks, and to pick and pull up sea products between rocks and the ocean floor.
“Our sincere thanks go to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle for their generous support, which made this exhibition possible,” said Hyokyoung Yi, Interim Director, Tateuchi East Asia Library.
Image: the exhibit
The exhibition, open to the public, runs through Friday, Aug 16, 2024. Check hours for Suzzallo and Allen Library.
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