Friday, March 26, 2010

Julio Herrera y Reissig: La mejor de las fieras humanas


Julio Herrera y Reissig: La mejor de las fieras humanas

"Este sitio está dedicado a Julio Herrera y Reissig. Aquí se puede leer su poesía, observar facsimilares, imágenes y piezas olvidadas. También incluyo las repercusiones críticas de mi biografía del personaje [La mejor de las fieras humanas. Vida de Julio Herrera y Reissig. Montevideo: Taurus, 2010] y discusiones conexas."

Proyecto del Prof. Aldo Mazzucchelli, Hispanic Studies Department, Brown University.

PUBLICACIONES PERIÓDICAS DEL URUGUAY


"PUBLICACIONES PERIÓDICAS DEL URUGUAY presenta la construcción progresiva de un sitio dedicado a la difusión, en formato digital, de periódicos que se publicaron en el Uruguay desde su constitución como país independiente y, aún antes, en la última etapa de la época colonial y durante los años de incertidumbre y conflictos que le sucedieron.
La prensa fue el espacio fundacional de discursos y discusiones, un ámbito propicio para la información de acontecimientos y disquisiciones intelectuales, de posiciones políticas, de aventuras literarias y artísticas, de miradas críticas rigurosas o polémicas, refiriendo tiempos y circunstancias, desde instancias que, dados los recursos tecnológicos actuales y sus incontenibles innovaciones, seguirán prolongándose.

Asimismo se podrán leer, en este sitio, las numerosas publicaciones organizadas o sostenidas por exilados e inmigrantes. Acontecimientos decisivos de la historia nacional se vieron reflejados en muchas de ellas (en italiano, francés, portugués e inglés, entre otras lenguas), por lo que son valioso testimonio tanto de la experiencia de una realidad extraña y nueva, la nuestra, como de los intereses y posiciones de los recién llegados ante sucesos locales y extranjeros.

Efímeras o duraderas, influyentes o marginales, sus páginas sorprenden por la multiplicidad de sus planteos, muchos de ellos todavía vigentes; sorprenden, algunas veces, por la belleza de su diagramación; otras veces, por la calidad de sus contenidos y los elevados atributos de sus colaboradores, por la gracia y humor de sus ocurrencias, por la virulenta severidad de las diatribas pero también, y en casi todos los casos, por el lamentable desconocimiento general en el que hoy se encuentran. Rescatadas y difundidas, son huellas y reliquias de vicisitudes y visiones que podrán favorecer la consolidación de nuevas reflexiones, de invenciones, de iniciativas de la imaginación que, gracias a las redes y sus tecnologías, habilitan el acceso a un tiempo que pasó y aún nos concierne."

Archivo de Prensa -- Biblioteca Digital de Autores Uruguayos


Archivo de Prensa -- Biblioteca Digital de Autores Uruguayos

"El Seminario de análisis de la comunicación, de Ciencias de la comunicación, Universidad de la República se ha propuesto habilitar este Archivo de prensa con el fin de difundir textos e imágenes, entrevistas, testimonios, obras periodísticas y literarias del pasado uruguayo que, hasta ahora, no fueron de fácil acceso ni frecuente atención."

Iberian Studies in SALALM has a Blog


Please visit the ISiS Blog and share your comments.

Latin American Travelogues digital project -- 135 new volumes added


The Latin American Travelogues digital collection draws on the expertise of Prof. James N. Green, Professor of Latin American history; Patricia Figueroa, Curator of Iberian and Latin American Collections; students; and the staff of the Center for Digital Scholarship at Brown University Library.

The goal of this project is to create a digital collection of Latin American travel accounts written in the 16th-19th centuries. The works selected are linked to critical essays produced by undergraduate students who are enrolled in Prof. Green's courses on Latin American history. This site will serve as a free-access visual and research tool for students and scholars alike.

The main purpose of the project is to integrate Brown's Latin American special collections into the classroom; to introduce students to their research value; to promote them as an undergraduate research tool; to make them freely accessible world-wide; and to preserve them for a future generation of scholars.

We welcome questions and comments about this project.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Subject Guides 2.0: The first installment

Underused and neglected, subject guides seem to struggle to pull their weight in today's library. Students rarely seem to know that they exist, while pages are either outdated or barely touch the surface of potential online and library resources. Notwithstanding, subject guides often remain the only web presence that bibliographers have in the tightly controlled library website. Furthermore, this page may be one of the only contacts the digital native student has with the library.

2.0 subject guides still fulfill their original purpose of pointing students in the direction of resources but they expand the potential of the subject guide by creating a dynamic learning community. By providing a one stop shop for easily accessible research resources, the subject guide serves as a complete community or subject hub. This helps students become immersed and grounded within their subject, making their research more relevant and thereby directly contributing to academic learning objectives.

Many different tools are used to create subject guides in libraries; LibGuides from Springshare are a popular choice, while other libraries have gone with blogs and wikis, or stuck with plain html. Whatever the format, this column aims to provide ideas to jazz up research guides and convert static subject guides into dynamic learning communities.
   
According to Jakob Nielsen, most people take under 1 second to decide whether to stay on a webpage or not. Most web page visits last 2-4 minutes. Therefore, if we want to ensure patrons use our subject guides, it is important that they are attractive (clear, easy to use) and have enough easily accessible content to make them stay there- and to return. Furthermore, it is important to remember that patrons come looking for answers, not tools. While a list of useful tools make the librarian happy, the same list can be off putting and overwhelming to patrons who have no idea how or where to start. So how can we include useful academic content in a visually attractive way that inspires students to use our resources?

One simple way is to embed widgets into the subject guide. A widget is a chunk of code that you can easily paste into your page and which provides a dynamic link back to an original resource. A widget is usually a tool that can be used directly from your page, for example a search box for a database. Widgets break up the text on a page and mean that students can find and use resources straightaway rather than following endless links to the library's main page. Furthermore, a search box is a familiar option that implies immediate results; an attractive option for students!

Widgets are starting to become more and more frequent. They already exist for many Spanish and Portuguese databases, including ones housed through Proquest and Ebsco. Redalyc and JSTOR among others are also in on the action. Widgets also include tools that students might need during their research. Oxford Language Dictionaries Online or Wordreference both provide code for dictionary widget search boxes. Including easy access to tools that students use in their research not only makes your page look more thoughtful and user friendly but it also contributes to the learning community feel of the subject guide and encourages use of academic tools.

Videos and video tutorials are also prime candidates to embed on your webpage. Many libraries are uploading video tutorials directly to Youtube, Google video or other video sharing websites. These videos are easy to embed on your web page; simply cut and paste the code on the right of the video. On the other hand, it may be easier to produce your own video tutorial. Jing, free screencasting software, is a very simple and user friendly way to record five minute videos. It also automatically uploads and provides the embedding code for your video. For videos that don't provide embedding code, here is a quick tutorial.

If you can copy and paste, you can embed a widget. And, if you are using Libguides, it is even easier to embed these tools. Widgetify your life!

The next column will include more ideas to transform your subject guide.

Alison Hicks
University of Colorado, Boulder
Alison.Hicks @ colorado.edu

Monday, March 22, 2010

19th International Book Fair, Habana, Cuba, February 11-21, 2010


Getting the license and authorization letter to travel to Cuba through Brown University was a smooth process. The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Brown offers a study abroad program at Casa de las Americas in La Habana and a number of students and faculty members have already set the path for Cuban travel. I received Title VI funding for the trip and was advised to request my visa and plane ticket through Common Ground Education and Travel. My port of departure from the United States was Miami where I boarded a 50 minute charter flight to La Habana.

Prior to leaving for Cuba I had made arrangements to stay at a casa particular in El Vedado. This private bed and breakfast was run by Caridad Vera and her husband Elio Rodriguez Peréz. I was so happy with their services and friendship that I created a free Webpage through Yola for them: http://casavera.yolasite.com.

I arrived in La Habana on Monday February 15th in the afternoon. Changing my Euros to Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) at the José Martí International Airport was rather easy; however I failed to also acquire a few pesos in moneda nacional which travelers need for riding the municipal bus system and purchasing a few token items. It’s recommended that you do not change US dollars to CUCs. Not only is the US dollar worth less than the CUC but there is an additional 10% bank charge for the US currency.

The next day, I was able to visit the Feria International del Libro thanks to the kindness of a stranger. Not having any moneda nacional on me as I was boarding the special bus to the Fortaleza of San Carlos de la Cabaña, I had to ask the lady standing behind me for change. She quickly offered to pay for my bus ticket and for the entrance to the fair grounds. All I had to do is keep my mouth shut since foreigners have to pay a special price. I would have gladly paid the price for extranjeros but at the time following her advice seemed like the fastest way to get to my destination. Once we got through the doors my new companion paid to have our bags put away in a locker (you cannot enter the exhibits halls with handbags) and showed me around the various rooms where the publisher and bookdealer stands were located. Unfortunately, I soon realized that most books were sold in moneda nacional and I didn’t have the heart to ask my friend for change and, through her boundless generosity, have her pay for Brown’s burgeoning Cuban book collection. I just looked around with the intention of returning the following day.

I didn’t find any materials at the fair that I couldn’t purchase through my regular bookdealer. When you purchase books in Cuba you must keep in mind that you will need special permission to take out of the country books, journals and maps published before a certain date. The Biblioteca Nacional and the Instituto del Libro will assess the materials and process the paperwork for you.

On Wednesday I visited the Instituto Cubano de Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC) with Martha Mantilla. I knew a few people from the ICAIC thanks to a Cuban panel and film series that was organized last year by the Providence Latin American Film Festival (PLAFF), an annual event co-sponsored by Brown University. Unfortunately we missed the Festival de jovenes realizadores cubanos that was due to start the following week.

That afternoon I walked along the Malecón to Casa de las Americas to visit its library and bookstore. The staff was friendly and very helpful. The gentleman managing the bookstore even created a list of Cuban films I should purchase for Brown’s collection.

On Thursday, I visited the Biblioteca Nacional and La Habana Vieja were one may find small bookshops and street book vendors. In the afternoon I strolled down to the famous Heladeria Coppelia where locals and tourists alike may purchase tasty ice cream for a few pesos. Given the limited sitting space and the large crowds people are forced to share tables, a civil way to make new friends in a foreign land. I sat with a young couple attending university. They spoke about the reality of the job market for young Cubans, salaries and the varying levels of job satisfaction. Having spoken about the world financial crisis they paid for my almond ice cream. I was rather mortified, especially since I now had many pesos in moneda nacional in my pocket, but they would not have it any other way. We later exchanged e-mails.

Friday was my last full day in Cuba and I decided to visit film director and theoretician Fernando Birri (Santa Fe, Argentina, 1925) at the Escuela de Cine y Televisión de Tres Mundos (EICTV) in San Antonio de los Baños, near La Habana. Don Fernando, who donated his personal archive to Brown University two years ago, co-founded the EICTV with Colombian novelist and Nobel Prize recipient Gabriel García Márquez in 1986. Since its foundation, Birri travels to Cuba every year and stays at the school for about a month to see its progress and talk to faculty members and students. The EICTV not only offers an impressive program in film and television but is self-sustainable through agriculture.

I left Cuba on Saturday afternoon. My book fair companion made sure to meet me at the airport to say goodbye. Not once did she accept repayment for all the pesos I owed her and only reluctantly accepted my gifts of Argentinean chocolates and Panamanian cookies.

Traveling to Cuba was a unique and culturally enriching experience.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Public Libraries in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia

Back in February I got the chance to visit a few public libraries in Bogota and Medellin. Below you'll find a brief description of each place and a link to the full story, including photographs.






Sunday, March 14, 2010

Surprising Visit to an Anarchist Book Fair

Image
(http://www.crimethinc.com/blog/category/calling-all-anarchists/)

I had almost forgotten about it until a friend asked if I had plans to go to the Anarchist Book Fair. I replied, half jokingly, that the last I time I had been to one, it was an unusually warm day and the not so pleasant smell of body odor, combined with all the blooming trees and flowers at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, was just a bit too much for my allergies. I remember asking a true “lefty” friend if the annals of anarchy (I don’t think principles, or rules would be appropriate) commented on questionable hygiene as true anarchy. She gave me a “give me a F…ing break!” kind of look.

I decided going early (before the un-air conditioned warehouse by the park would hit above 70 degrees) would pre-empt worries about odors of any kind. So I called a Middle Eastern friend who boasts of his rugged adventures in India and claims he is always ready and willing to try new things in America.

I no longer have that 20-something “aventurero” spirit, the same one of my junior year abraod when I embarked for Spain with barely enough money to last only a few months. I spent a year there, the best of my limited West Texas existence!

The anarchist tide was in our favor, parking only a block away. We could already see a few [mostly white] young people sporting the attire de rigeur: overly worn black outfits, multicolored hair styles coupled with body piercings and tatooes. I was starting to feel that my dark green pants and blue shirt were not quite the uniform to fit in, especially the jacket….but more on that later.

At one of the first tables I found posters supporting the Zapatista and Nicaraguan revolutions. A few tables down there were others in support of immigrant rights, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the United Farm Workers.... I was starting to feel at home. Then I recognized some of the posters from an earlier show at San Francisco’s Galeria de la Raza: Dignidad Rebelde: Art in Action.


Some of the more established publishers like AK Press seem to have an extensive presence of Latin American titles. The stand of PM Press had a glossy catalog (80 pages) with titles from a collective of publishers with revealing names like: Big Noise Tactical Media, Found in Translation, Switchblade, Spectacular Fiction, Reach & Teach, Trade Root and the Green Arcade.

One of the titles will be familiar to those of us at the 2009 Guadalajara Book Fair, Diario de Oaxaca. It's a sketchbook journal by American graphic artist Peter Kuper's two years spent in Oaxaca at the same time that teachers's strike led to a seven month siege in 2006-2007.

Those same tragic events in what up to then had been a picturesque and bucolic Oaxaca were also the subject of a 19 page pamphlet (Broke Barricades: the Oaxaca Rebellion in Victorry, Defeat and Beyond) published in Palo Alto by the group Collective Reinventions. Who said there was no anarquist activity in the same town that's home to the Hoover Institution?

By chance, I happened to have the office’s Pcard, but I doubted any anarchist vendor would even consider it. Sure enough, I noticed a sign indicating “we accept checks and credit cards.!” I mentioned this to two other librarians I encountered there and we were all a bit surprised. I guess there is some truth to that old saying "if you cannot beat the enemy, join them."


In the past I have seen pamphlets by the Flores Magon brothers, considered to be intellectual precursors of the Mexican Revolution. A copy of their publication Regeneración in its original format is hard to find these days. That's probably more for the antiquarian book fair that comes to town in February of 2011. Those of you in New York can check at next month's fair and tell us what other treasures (anarquist or antiquarian) you found.

I stayed longer than expected and more than once lost sight of my Middle Eastern friend. He loved the whole experience, even argued with a young exponent of anarchist thought who finally admitted to him, “I am just here for the day….”

I must have been one of the few people with an outfit not really made for an early Spring anarchist gathering. A faux leather jacket does not quite cut it....but I had a great time....and happy to report no allergic reactions.