Librarians have a very mixed attitude to markings, underlining, or scribbling on books. In most cases it is frowned upon. In one infamous case from the 1960s, the British playwright Joe Orton served six months in gaol for defacing books from Islington Public Library. However, in other cases, far from being viewed as vandalism, โmarkingsโ …
Marbled Papers: A Brief History of an Endangered Bookcraft
If you have spent time in our Special Collections reading room with some of our 17-20th century books, you may have marveled at some of the patterns that form the endpapers of your chosen material. While probably not the reason you have requested the book, those papers have a unique history all of their own, …
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Ag Cruthรบ Foclรณir Nua / What It Takes to Build A Dictionary
Agus muid ag ceiliรบradh fhoilsiรบ an chรฉad fhoclรณir BรฉarlaโGaeilge le 60 bliana anuas, breathnaรญmid siar ar rรฉamhtheachtaรญ an fhoclรณra chรฉanna agus an fear dรญlis a stiรบraigh an togra รบd. As we celebrate the publication of Irelandโs first EnglishโIrish dictionary in 60 years, we take some time to look back at its predecessor that served us …
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Our Uplifting Advent Calendar
With December starting tomorrow, Christmas can be just about seen peaking it's head above the horizon. After such a crazy year and to really get into that Christmas spirit, UCD Cultural Heritage Collections have put together an Uplifting Advent Calendar which can be seen and followed on our Twitter accounts; UCD Archives, Special Collections and …
Harry Kernoff’s Woodcuts
Over the course of his career, artist Harry Kernoff (1900 - 1974) produced three books of woodcuts, filled with striking black and white prints. Born in London in 1900, Kernoff was the eldest son of Isaac and Kate Kernoff, Russian-Jewish migrants who had moved to Britain from Vitebsk, then part of Russia, now Belarus. The …
A Well-Travelled Collection
The Franciscan Book Collection at UCD Library Special Collections In 2000 the Irish Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor: OFM) and University College Dublin (UCD) agreed a legal partnership, administered by the UCD-OFM partnership committee, whereby The Mรญcheรกl ร Clรฉirigh Institute for the Study of Irish History and Civilisation was established. It was agreed that some …
Alice’s Many Visits to Wonderland
The Evertype editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Originally conceived by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson as a story to amuse Alice Liddell and her sisters during a boat trip at Oxford, Aliceโs Adventures in Wonderland was first published in 1865 under the authorโs pseudonym of Lewis Carroll. It has not been out of print since it …
Maurice Harmon turns 90
Academic, critic and poet Maurice Harmon will turn 90 years old on June 21st 2020. Harmonโs library and archive was transferred to UCD Special Collections in 2016. Harmon has been a towering figure in the field of Anglo Irish literature. The archive reflects the various aspects of Harmonโs work and demonstrates the pivotal role he …
The Last Hour of the Night
Amid the stress and worry of the world we now find ourselves living in, the change of pace over the past few months has offered many of us time to think more deeply about our immediate surroundings. Whether small reflections on the pleasure gained from hearing birdsong more clearly, or noticing the small progressive changes …
Words True and Kind
In these unprecedented times, people have been sharing poetry as a way to lift the public mood. Seamus Heaneyโs words โIf we can winter this one out, we can summer anywhereโ have offered solace and hope. Derek Mahonโs Everythingโs going to be alright was been broadcast to the nation at the end of a news …
