A wholly unexpected musical discovery was at the center of a collaboration between the Penn Libraries and The Philadelphia Orchestra, as the two institutions partnered to celebrate the only known recording of composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff playing his last major orchestral work, Symphonic Dances.
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Probing the “Time Capsule” of the Cairo Geniza at Adath Israel Synagogue
In mid-January, Emily Esten visited the Adath Israel synagogue in nearby Merion Station to deliver two presentations on the Cairo Geniza, one tailored to adult synagogue members and the other to children.
...Continue readingBehind the Scenes: Curators Reflect on 'Making the Renaissance Manuscript' and 'Medieval Life'
Drawing from the collections of the Penn Libraries and other area institutions, two exhibits in spring 2020 use lesser-known treasures to capture and convey elements of Renaissance culture and Medieval life.
Research Tea: Amy Hillier on Transgender Youth
Next Tuesday, February 4, Amy Hillier will present at Penn Libraries’ first Research Tea of the spring semester. Hillier — an Associate Professor in both the School of Social Policy & Practice and in the Weitzman School of Design’s Department of City and Regional Planning — will give a talk titled “Incorporating Youth and Trans Voices in Academic Research.”
Supporting Guatemalan Healthcare through Improved Access to Clinical Literature
Shortly after Fulbright Scholar Manuel de la Cruz Gutierrez joined the University of Pennsylvania’s Biomedical Library in 2014, he became involved with the Perelman School of Medicine’s long-standing partnership with a group of Guatemalan universities and Maya communities. “I had a particular interest in the region because I’m from Latin America,” explains de la Cruz Gutierrez
Sensing Climate with Librarian Margaret Janz
“I’ve always been a nature nerd,” says Margaret Janz, who was trained as a science librarian and currently serves as the Scholarly Communications and Data Curation Librarian at Penn. When the College of Arts and Sciences organized the 1.5* Minute Climate Lecture Series this past September, Penn Program in Environmental Humanities (PPEH) Director Bethany Wiggin invited Janz to co-present
Book Art: Zoe Leonard Sculpture on Display at Penn's ICA
The University of Pennsylvania-affiliated Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) has no permanent collection. Instead, the ICA features rolling exhibitions of innovative artists both established and emergent. It was famously the first museum to present a solo Andy Warhol show and has hosted works by a miscellany of high-profile artists
Student Spotlight: Jiaqi Song
Jiaqi Song was born on one continent (Asia, in Beijing), grew up on another (Europe, in Rome), and now attends college on a third (North America, in Philadelphia). Fittingly enough, he’s a second-year student in Wharton’s Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business.
Research Tea: Megan C. Kassabaum
On December 3, Megan C. Kassabaum will present at the Libraries’ final Research Tea of the semester. An assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, Kassabaum also serves as Penn Museum’s Weingarten Assistant Curator for North America. Her wide-ranging research interests include food and feasting, ceramic technology, social organization, and public and museum archaeology.
Student Spotlight: Juan Castrillón, Neyzen
The ney flute’s airy, organic melodies are a characteristic element of Turkish classical music, though the melodies don’t come easily. This end-blown woodwind instrument, crafted from a single reed, is notoriously difficult to master, requiring weeks of consistent practice for a novice to produce one recognizable note.
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