Monthly Archives: April 2012

Dr. Li Wang on China’s “Soft Power”

Posted on by

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — On Thursday, May 3, 2012, Dr. Li Wang of Brown University Library will give a talk entitled “Emerging China’s Publishing Soft Power: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies for Academia” at 4pm in the Joukowsky Forum, Watson Institute at 111 Thayer Street. This talk is sponsored by Brown University’s Year of China.

In the past decade, China’s booming publishing industry has dramatically increased Chinese scholarly resources. China now produces more books than any other country. The growth of the publishing enterprise is a feature of China’s cultural influence and “soft power.” Based on an investigation of recent trends in the field, this lecture aims to profile the array of formats in the changing landscape of Chinese scholarly resources. Dr. Li Wang will provide statistical analysis and summaries of the development of the publishing industry, the increasing output of books and serials publishing, and the growth of multimedia products and mobile networks. He will address the implications of these changes on Library collections and academic research, and encourage an understanding of the challenges and opportunities presented by the “soft power” of Chinese publishing in a global information age.

Li Wang has been serving as Curator of East Asian Collection at Brown University Library since 2000. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Peking University, an M.A. in Humanities from Western Kentucky University, and an M.A. in Library and Information Science and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of Iowa. He is currently a Research Associate of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University and the Oversea Research Fellow of Beijing Foreign Studies University, and the Chair of the Committee for Scholarly Activities of the Society for Chinese Studies Librarians. Dr. Wang’s research interests and publications include Chinese philosophy and religion, especially Daoism, library and information studies, the history of book publishing, and Chinese cultural studies, especially martial arts.

The Year of China explores the rich culture, economy, and politics of Greater China, investigating its past, examining its present, and contemplating its future. Throughout the 2011-2012 academic year, Brown will host public lectures, cultural events, academic conferences, and exhibits in an integrated exploration of China. For more information about the program and upcoming events, please visit: www.brown.edu/yearofchina

The Brown University Library is home to more than 6.8 million print items, plus a multitude of electronic resources and expanding digital archives serving the teaching, research, and learning needs of Brown students and faculty, as well as scholars from around the country and the world.

Contact: Amy Atticks | Amy_Atticks@brown.edu | (401) 863-6913

###

David Adler ’14 Receives 6th Annual UGRA Award

Posted on by

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University Library is pleased to announce that David Adler ’14 is the recipient of the sixth annual Undergraduate Award for Excellence in Library Research, generously funded by Douglas W. Squires, ’73. This award, established in partnership with the Office of the Dean of the College, recognizes undergraduate projects that make extensive and creative use of the Brown University Library’s collections, including print and primary resources, databases, and special collections. On Monday, April 30th at 9am, the Library will present Adler with his award in the Absolute Quiet Room on Level A of the Rockefeller Library. A reception will follow.

David Adler’s paper “A Sergeant of Industry” led from a close study of the Hall-Hoag Collection of dissenting and extremist propaganda, to direct correspondence with Brian Bex of the American Communications Network, and involved the acquisition of new materials from Bex which Adler will donate to the Library.

In his paper, Adler argues that a top-down reading of the conservative movement is incomplete, as it often neglects grassroots organizers, like Brian Bex, who Adler calls “sergeants of industry.” As Adler explains, “The story of Brian Bex suggests that we might view the conservative revolution as the result of the cooperative efforts of the entire chain of command in the free enterprise army.”

Adler is a sophomore from Los Angeles, CA, and a double concentrator in History & Economics. He works as a section editor for the College Hill Independent and as a Writing Fellow. During summer 2011, Adler worked with History Professor Naoko Shibusawa on an Undergraduate Teaching and Research Award project, and he plans to study abroad at St. Stephen’s College in Delhi in the fall. He still owes the Brown Library $3.00 for extended use of a computer charger.

The Brown University Library is home to more than 6.8 million print items, plus a multitude of electronic resources and expanding digital archives serving the teaching, research, and learning needs of Brown students and faculty, as well as scholars from around the country and the world.

Contact: Amy Atticks | Amy_Atticks@brown.edu | (401) 863-6913

###

Brown Library Hires New Web Content Support Specialist

Posted on by

Please welcome Mark Baumer, who joins the library staff as the Web Content Support Specialist. Mark earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Brown and his BA in English from Wheaton College. Mark has taught creative writing to Brown Undergraduates and also through Continuing Education. He has built and designed websites for a number of years while living in both Boston and Los Angeles. Some of his writing has been published. He is the creator of everyday yeah. He once walked across America.

Please Note: Carberry Lecture Cancelled!

Posted on by

Professor Josiah S. Carberry will unfortunately not be lecturing this evening at the John Hay Library. The Providence weather has so distracted him from his research that he was compelled to take a last minute flight to Rio de Janeiro.  In his absence, he encourages donations to the Josiah S. Carberry Fund through http://library.brown.edu/alumni/gifts/ The Library has also arranged for a collection of pots, jars and jugs to be placed throughout campus for donations.

CANCELLED: Josiah S. Carberry “Considering the Commonalities between Theories of Psychoceramics and Characteristics of Executive Leadership”

Posted on by

THIS TALK HAS BEEN CANCELLED

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] – On Friday, April 13, 2012, Professor Josiah S. Carberry will be giving a lecture entitled “Considering the Commonalities between Theories of Psychoceramics and Characteristics of Executive Leadership” in the Lownes Room of the John Hay Library at 5:30pm followed by a reception in the Lobby. This lecture is free and open to the public.

In his recent travels to Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, and certain Gallic countries, Professor Carberry has observed trending characteristics in leadership which relate to his research in the field of Psychoceramics. During this special lecture, Professor Carberry will share photographs and audio clips from his explorations, which he will be donating to the University Archives.

Professor Josiah S. Carberry has been offering lectures at Brown since 1929, and is best known for his work in Psychoceramics. He has been the subject of articles in a number of periodicals, including the New York Times, which proclaimed him “The World’s Greatest Traveler” on the front page of its Sunday travel section in 1974, and in Yankee magazine, where he was “The Absent-Bodied Professor” in 1975.  Carberry was also awarded an Ig Noble Prize at the First Annual Ig Noble Prize Ceremony on October 3, 1991.

Josiah S. Carberry Fund In 1955, the University Library established the Josiah S. Carberry fund in memory of his future late wife, Laura Carberry. A condition of the gift was that henceforth every Friday April 13 would be designated Carberry Day and on that day friends of the University would deposit their loose change into Brown jugs to augment the fund which is used to purchase “such books as Professor Carberry might or might not approve of.” To donate to the Josiah S. Carberry Fund, please visit: http://library.brown.edu/alumni/gifts/ or drop your change into a jug around campus on April 13.

Seating is limited. First come, first serve.

###

Focus on Special Collections: Titanic

Posted on by

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the staff of the John Hay Library will display several news accounts of the disaster, including articles from the 1912 Providence Journal. Additional items related to the ship (sheet music, poetry and plays) will be on display. RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg; over 1500 people perished.

Please join us at noon on Tuesday April 17th in the Lownes Room to relive history.

Librarians After Dark – 4/9 and 4/10!

Posted on by
Librarians After Dark - 4/9 & 4/10 in the Rock

Librarians After Dark - 4/9 & 4/10

Working on a research project?

Are you stuck or want to dig more deeply?

Come to the Librarians After Dark session to get hands on tips to become a more effective library user, and bring your research questions for some personalized guidance. You’ll leave with tips and tricks that can lead to more efficient and productive research.

Register Now

When:

April 9 & 10, 7-8pm

Where:
Rockefeller Library, main level
Hecker Center Computer Classroom

Sponsored by the University Library

Dr. Guila Clara Kessous “Theater and Human Rights”

Posted on by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 3, 2012

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] – At 5:30pm on Monday, May 7, 2012, Dr. Guila Clara Kessous will give a lecture entitled “Theater and Human Rights” in the second floor Lownes Room of the John Hay Library followed by a reception. This lecture is sponsored by Friends of the Library and is part of the Mel and Cindy Yoken Cultural Series. It is free and open to the public.

Dr. Kessous will consider representations of humanitarian cause on stage and examine the responsibilities and challenges artists and audiences face in exploring material of this nature. The presentation will focus on scenes from plays directed by Dr. Kessous in English and in French.

Guila Clara Kessous leads the Harvard Kennedy School Carr Center’s Initiative in Theater and Human Rights. She is the recipient of the State Diploma of Performing Arts among other awards, Kessous acted, directed and produced in major theatres in the US and Europe. She received a PhD in ethics and aesthetics under the mentorship of E. Wiesel, an MBA in cultural business, and a cross-disciplinary MA in comparative dramaturgy, cinema, and pedagogy. She has taught at Harvard, Boston University, the Sorbonne, and the Wiesel Institute. Her sponsors include UNESCO (director, “Hilda”), the UN (director, “Tribute to Human Rights”), and the CNRS among others. She has collaborated with artists including John Malkovich, James Taylor, Marissa Berenson, Daniel Mesguich, and Theodore Bikel. In 2010, she partnered with the United Nations on the theme “Theater and Human Rights” and was awarded the “Chevalier Arts et Lettres” from the French Minister of Culture. In 2011, UNESCO named her an “Artist for Peace” giving her the opportunity to collaborate directly with francophone countries spanning three different continents on the Mediterranean project.

Friends of the Library is an association interested in fostering the growth and usefulness of the Brown University Library and in encouraging gifts of books, desirable collections, other scholarly materials and funds.

The Brown University Library is home to more than 6.8 million print items, plus a multitude of electronic resources and expanding digital archives serving the teaching, research, and learning needs of Brown students and faculty, as well as scholars from around the country and the world.

Contact: Amy Atticks|  Amy_Atticks@Brown.edu | (401) 863-6913

###