John J. Burns Library Blog: Recent Episodes
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Beginning last fall, Burns Library hosted a new instruction initiative for first-year writing classes. Collaborating with the First-Year Writing seminar program (FWS) and O’Neill librarians, the Burns FWS Pilot Program welcomed first-year undergraduate students to Burns Library and encouraged hands-on engagement with rare books and archives.
When DC Comics launched the anthology series Solo in 2004, it represented a daring and refreshing experiment in comic book storytelling. Each issue of the twelve-issue series was dedicated to a single artist, granting them near-complete creative freedom to explore stories, characters, and styles.
In late August 2024, Maggie Erwin joined the Burns Library staff as the 2024-2025 Outreach and Access Assistant. Maggie is a full-time Master’s student at the Simmons College School of Library Science, where she specializes in rare books and special collections librarianship.
The stats are in, the students are back, and we’re kicking off the spring semester. As we head into 2025, join us in looking back at a full and rewarding 2024 in our Burns Wrapped!
332 years ago, just 30 miles from Boston College’s main campus, a series of accusations of witchcraft in Salem Village would launch what we know today as the Salem Witch Trials.
Tales from far-off cultures and lands have always captivated the human imagination. From Marco Polo to Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, both true, exaggerated, and fictionalized accounts of global adventures have had a lasting appeal for the reading public.
Greene has often been a topic of discussion on the Burns Library blog, but in honor of Hispanic Heritage month, which is celebrated September 15th- October 15th, I would like to draw attention to some of the Hispanic and Latin American authors he had correspondence with.
Burns Library has recently acquired a first edition of Il Saggiatore (The Assayer), written by Galileo in 1623, with handwritten additions to the volume’s errata sheet in the author’s own hand.
Jack Kirby, often hailed as the "King of Comics," stands as one of the most influential figures in the history of comic books. Born Jacob Kurtzberg on August 28, 1917, in New York City, Kirby grew up in the tenements of the Lower East Side, a neighborhood teeming with immigrant families.
Bookstores are currently overflowing with reimaginings of Greek classical myths. Our interest in these very human stories has clearly endured across millennia, but just how these stories were transferred into our modern age, and who was responsible for this transference, was a topic of heated debate in Europe for centuries.
William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois was a scholar, writer, editor, and civil rights pioneer from Massachusetts. The Crisis, a national magazine for Black Americans, began publication in 1910 and is the oldest African American publication in the United States. Du Bois was its editor from 1910-1934.
This spring, students from Professor Heather Brennan’s First Year Writing Seminar visited the Burns Library to explore some of the historical letters living in our collections. Each student wrote a rhetorical analysis of one of the letters that they examined. We’re excited to share one of those analyses by freshman Andrew Barrett on the Burns […]
Agaynst the biting of all venomous beastes As soone as the person feeleth hymselfe bytten, with any venomous beaste (or at the leaste as soone as is possible) take greene leaves of a fyg tree, and presse the milke of them, three or foure tymes into the wound. And for this serveth also mustard seede mingled […]
In a kind of minimalist “zine” on colored construction paper, Tim Dlugos cut out a quote from a newspaper that reads “. . . The spark, the dynamo, the driving force / the podium . . . the crowd roars approval.”
Organizational records don't immediately scream wicked cool archives, but they are. They can be the most fascinating sources of historical inquiry you'll encounter.
Published in Italian in 1604, the second edition of Breve Relatione describes the region of Peru from the perspective of the Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego de Torres Bollo. Originally published in Rome in 1603, Breve Relatione represents one of the first printed sources of Jesuit missionary endeavors in early modern South America.
Twelve and a half miles northeast of Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus is the Weston Observatory. Bought by Boston College in 1947, the observatory has been monitoring earthquakes since 1931. Currently the facility hosts instruments for the New England Seismic Network and the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network.
Over the next few days, millions of people will flock to march in and watch numerous St. Patrick’s Day parades. But do you know the larger history of St. Patrick’s Day? Why do we wear green? What else does the month of March represent?
Burns Library holds over 600 archival collections, over 215,000 volumes and hundreds of three dimensional objects ranging from a 14th century Franciscan antiphoner to the records of a “house of hospitality” founded in Roxbury in 1966. With such a range of resources, it can be difficult to know where to start!
The Burns Library reading room is the place to bring reference questions about Boston College history. Because Burns holds the BC Archives, we regularly hear from students, alumni, and other researchers who are seeking sources and information.
Maud Gonne, as the leading member and president of the Inghinidhe na hÉireann, is well remembered for her role in the Irish revolution. Fourteen other women participated in the founding of the group, but none have the same level of name recognition that Gonne has. So who were some of these other women?
John Dryden wrote within a literary world of aristocratic verse and satire-induced beatings.
I’m Marta Crilly, Head of User Engagement and Burns Library Public Services. I lead the Burns Library’s Public Services program as well as coordinating and managing the University Library’s user engagement and outreach initiatives.
Francis Thompson, the British Catholic author of the famous poem “The Hound of Heaven” wrote prolifically throughout his life, despite several hardships including time spent living on the streets and a severe opium addiction. Burns Library has a wide array … Continue reading →
Traditionally, the story of Egyptology as a field begins with Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1801, when his soldiers returned with exciting tales of ancient ruins and mystical cultural practices. Europe was gripped by these foreign stories, and the Western … Continue reading →
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) was a prominent Anglo-French writer, historian, poet, and politician. He is best known for his prolific writing on a wide range of subjects, including history, politics, religion, and literature. Belloc was born in France to a French … Continue reading →
Each [community] perished in its own way; not because the spirit was weak but because the seeds of truth and beauty which they scattered fell on ground too choked by the weeds of the materialistic world which surrounded it to … Continue reading →
One may not be able to think of any clear ties between Ireland and Serbia (previously known as one of the constituent republics under the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia). Yet, Elizabeth O’Brien, born in Limerick in 1861, would continuously foster … Continue reading →
As in our modern day, the 17th and 18th centuries were a time when critics and writers were attempting to locate the lines of ethical discourse around political figures. The practice of writing history was the site of many of … Continue reading →
Spider-Man 2099 is a classic comic book series that explores a futuristic version of the Spider-Man universe. Written by Peter David and illustrated by Rick Leonardi, the series is a great blend of action, drama, and science fiction. Originally published … Continue reading →
Who Are You? Hi, I’m Amanda Ferrara, Instruction & Public Services Librarian within Burns Library at Boston College. The role involves teaching all classes about primary, historical materials, enhancing the access of our spaces and the materials we steward, and … Continue reading →
Until the 1920s there were no female students at Boston College. The first were those attending Extension School classes on Saturdays and summers in the early 1920s who earned certificates and Masters degrees in the field of education. The pioneering … Continue reading →
Finding archival material can be a complex process. It begins with the often invisible work of expert archivists who organize and describe materials, creating groupings of detailed, hierarchical categories unique to each collection. These inventories help researchers determine if a … Continue reading →
On the 5th of November, 1605, several English lords discovered Guy Fawkes with barrels of gunpowder underneath the buildings of Parliament. Fawkes, with other conspirators, had planned to set these barrels aflame during a session of Parliament, killing King James … Continue reading →
In 1907, Boston College purchased 31 acres of land on the border of Boston and Newton. Students officially arrived in 1913, as soon as the first building on their new Chestnut Hill campus was ready for use, and construction has … Continue reading →
While many Batman story arcs and graphic novels seem to have ubiquitous reach in the comic world – The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, and The Dark Knight Returns to name just a few – there are some lesser known … Continue reading →
These days, there are about as many ways to record your reading as there are ways to read. Maybe your Kindle library serves as a reminder of the books you’ve read. Maybe you are a devoted user of Goodreads or … Continue reading →
After two years of drive-thru birthday parties and staycations, Covid-19 related travel restrictions have gradually been lifted throughout the year for United States citizens traveling to Europe. Multiple countries tightened restrictions during the early winter months in hopes of clearing … Continue reading →
A 1647 edition of William Lilly’s Christian Astrology, located in the Burns library stacks, bears an ominous warning to those who would delve into the practice of reading the stars. The book’s owner cautions that “all those that peruse this … Continue reading →
The turn of the 20th century brought with it the invention of the first “modern” typewriter, produced by the Underwood Typewriter Company in 1900. Prior to the release of the Underwood, typewriters were not as widely used nor easily accessible … Continue reading →
Boston College has opened several new athletic facilities over the last few years, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the Margo Connell Recreation Center, the Harrington Athletics Village, the Fish Fieldhouse, and the (soon-to-be) Hoag Basketball Pavillion. In the … Continue reading →
The Book of Kells is one of the best known medieval manuscripts in the world, due in part to its distinctive insular style and its status as an emblem of Irish national history and identity. Created around 800 AD, the … Continue reading →
Over the last two years, the Burns Library Archives and Manuscripts team have made clear strides in how our donors and our subject area curators identify, evaluate, and select born digital material for inclusion in the archives. We’ve reimagined our … Continue reading →
Kindly write to me, my dear Jane, describe for me the scenery and the people. Let it be a poem and a picture. Jane MacNeven (New York City) to her daughter, Jane Mary MacNeven (Georgetown), 10 May 1840 Within Burns … Continue reading →
We’re a bit late to it, but March was Women’s History Month and, of course, St. Patrick’s Day. As a graduating senior in the history and women’s studies department, this March felt like my month. With the help of a … Continue reading →
One of the things that the Burns Library is known for is our extensive Irish collection and Anglo-Irish author, Jonathan Swift is no exception. Though known widely for his satirical essay, “A Modest Proposal,” undoubtedly his most famous work is … Continue reading →
You’ve probably been told that the Burns Library is “closed stacks,” meaning that librarians pull all of the materials that a user might want, and provide access to them in our reading room. But you may be surprised to learn … Continue reading →
Walking through the stacks that contain the Williams Ethnological Collection, it is quite easy for one to be distracted by the sheer amount of titles that deal with folklore of different nations and peoples. Yet knowing that often the material … Continue reading →
For far too long, researchers have faced difficulties in locating women in the historical record. While that was often the result of research decisions and collection development that deliberately and/or incidentally privileged men as historical actors. It is important to … Continue reading →
How do you know if a class was effective? While we have some baseline measures – gut check: was an ambulance needed for the instructor or students? No? Success! – gathering feedback from students is an essential tool in knowing … Continue reading →
I found a bit of Cotton with the seeds in it just as it grew. It is dirty, but i will put it in you can if you wish plant them & see how it grows. when growing it is … Continue reading →
While Burns Library usually acquires its rare books and special collections by purchase or donation, the rare and unusual will sometimes turn up at another library within Boston College. This 1805 edition of Masses, vespers, litanies, hymns, psalms, anthems & … Continue reading →
The Williams Ethnological Collection is one of our more diverse collections of published materials, assembled by the Jesuit missionary and ethnologist Joseph J. Williams, SJ and largely focused on Africa & the Caribbean. Many of the volumes are White European … Continue reading →
This past year, staff at Burns Library took the opportunity to recatalog and rehouse one of our most popular collections – The Edward J. Kane Collection of Comics. First received in 2008 from retired Boston College professor Edward J. Kane, … Continue reading →
“Have you ever stopped to think how much type affects your thoughts, your movements, your health, your wealth, or in fact your very life?” Continue reading →
Hello, from back-of-house here at Burns Library. We (the archives team) are regularly asked why some of our archival collections–or portions of them–are unavailable to researchers. There are lots of reasons, but the big ones are: Donor-imposed restrictions Unprepared for … Continue reading →
Some of the more popular collections we bring out for class use– comics and Boston College athletic programs— engage students’ curiosity not just because of their content but also due to the presence of advertisements. While in our present day, … Continue reading →
One of the more interesting aspects of my job as a cataloger is that I manage and maintain the inclusion files for Burns Library. The inclusion files are just what they sound like: four filing cabinets, stuffed to the brim … Continue reading →
The Authors Collection here at Burns Library is one of the most wide ranging – subject wise as well as timeframe. It covers 340 years (ranging from 1665-2005), though the bulk of the collection dates from 1790 to 1900. The … Continue reading →
The leaves are changing, the air finally has that crisp New England bite, and Halloween is finally upon us here at Boston College. Even just being in Burns Library makes me feel like I am at Hogwarts with our Gothic … Continue reading →
For readers who have been enjoying our Irish music blog posts, we are happy to announce the launch of a new blog and website dedicated to Burns Library’s Irish Music Archives. The new blog at bcirishmusic.wordpress.com will feature content that reflects the vibrant tradition of Irish music and dance at BC. Continue reading →