Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Now online: Gems from Olivette

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

As part of the Library's pilot book digitization project, we've now digitized and made available a very rare musical score, Gems from Olivette by Edmond Audran:

Cover of the score, Gems from Olivette
Cover of Gems from Olivette

Available to read online or download in multiple formats (including .pdf, EPUB, Kindle, Daisy or plain text) on the Internet Archive, the high resolution page images are also available on NPS Focus.  The score contains songs from Olivette, which opened at the Bijou Theatre on December 25, 1880, with delightful titles such as "Jamaica rum : a grog-orian chant," "The  torpedo and the whale," and "Where balmy garlic scents the air," for voice with piano accompaniment.

As part of our pilot project, we've digitized several types of items: reports, illustrated books, poetry, and now a score, and made them all available on NPS Focus and the Internet Archive.  We hope to be able to begin digitizing more resources in the future!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Zigzag Journeys in Australia, or, A Story of a Cover

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

This charming cover for a book about travels in the seas around and in the land of Australia is now available online in the Keys Catalog and in the Open Library:

Cover of Hezekiah Butterworth's Zigzag Journeys in Australia
Cover of Hezekiah Butterworth's Zigzag Journeys in Australia
How does Keys get its covers?  Two ways:

If the work has an ISBN, then Keys will automatically pull a cover image from an Open Library record.  This is a feature of the Koha open-source catalog software that powers Keys, that's easily selected in the system administration.

But what about older works, such as this one, that predate the ISBN system?  First we check the Open Library record to see if a cover image is available.  If not, then we scan the cover, and upload it to Keys.  We also upload it to the Open Library so that it can be available to the world.

Uploading to Open Library is easy--you don't even have to log in!  No Open Library account is necessary, although accounts are free if you'd like one, and they allow you to improve the book descriptions.  To contribute covers, their system for adding covers just requires a couple of clicks to either upload an image from your computer, or paste in the address of a cover image from the web.  It's quick to do, and is an easy way to make wonderful aspects of books available to all!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Holiday hours, July 2013

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

The Library will be closed for the federal holiday on Thursday, July 4 and on Friday, July 5, resuming our normal hours on Monday, July 8, 3013.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Sailing Vessel in Fog

This week we're offering another instructive rhyme from Nautical Nursery Rhymes by Billy Ringbolt, which resides in the Peterson, Peter H. (Capt.) Papers, (SAFR 18665, HDC 571):

Sailing Vessel in Fog

When a ship is on the starboard tack, the fact you'll always know,
Because upon her fog horn a signal blast she'll blow;
And when upon the port tack the blast will then be two,
At frequent intervals the while the fog obscures the view;
And when you hear a triple blast, you'll know, that it would seem,
That the hidden craft is sailing with the wind abaft the beam.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Roast Filet of Beef du Barry

(by Heather Hernandez, Technical Services Librarian)

The next recipe in the Library's copy of The captain's table : 18 recipes for famous dishes served aboard the S.S. United States and S.S. America follows a portrait of Mr. Charles Gray, Hospitality Officer at Grosvenor House London which is captioned:
I have travelled [sic] many times, both on the S.S. United States and the S.S. America, and I have always had a most enjoyable trip with wonderful hospitality.  Each time I make a crossing, I insist on having Roast Filet of Beef du Barry.  The chefs on board roast filets to perfection.
The recipe for Roast Filet of Beef du Barry:
Wipe a filet of beef with a damp cloth.  Trim it neatly, remove all the connective tissue, and have it larded with narrow strips of larding pork.  Roast the filet in a very hot oven (450° F) for 8 minutes to the pound, basting it frequently with hot beef stock for the first 15 minutes and then with the pan juices, until it is done.  Remove the filet to a heatproof platter.  Surround the meat with bouquets of cooked cauliflowerets.  Coat the flowerets with Sauce Mornay (see recipe) and sprinkle the sauce with grated cheese.  Put the platter in a very hot oven (450° F) until the sauce is browned and bubbling.  A 5-pount filet serves 10 to 12.