Brenda is director of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library and of the Harrison Institute for American History, Literature, and Culture. She leads a team who engages users in reference and public service, educates using primary sources for instruction, elevates discovery of our collections, and excites visitors with our rotating exhibitions.
Dan Ray is the primary cataloger of music scores and recordings.
Shane writes codes for Scholars' Lab, makes coffee, and teaches the Code Lab introductory programming course for the Praxis Fellowship. He has an MA in history from UVA. His scholarly interests are the history of computing and digital privacy. He was previously a Praxis Fellow (2012), Makerspace Technologist (2014-2017), Digital Humanities Fellow (2016), and the sole recipient of the Scholars’ Lab’s prestigious Shane Lin Memorial Fellowship (2013). Before all that, he worked for Big Tech and felt bad about it.
The variety of tools, materials, equipment, and supplies (not to mention the knowledge, skills, training, and techniques) required for the preservation of UVA Library objects is impressive. This exhibit showcases a few of the tools found in Preservation Services in Alderman, the Audio and Film Labs in Clemons, and the Dell Conservation Lab.
The physical exhibit is on view in the Stettinius Gallery of the second floor hallway in Alderman Library.
"Thomas Jefferson Revealed" is an mini-exhibition of spectacular treasures pertaining to Jefferson, all drawn from the collections of the University of Virginia Library. Items include a ticket from the "Jefferson Lottery," a letter from Jefferson to Maria Cosgrove, one of Jefferson's engraved calling cards, and even a lock of his hair.
Racism and discrimination, traditionally oppressive institutions in American history and culture, were challenged by the Civil Rights Movement (1945-1970). The "Jim Crow" system remained in place for nearly seventy years, until the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision re-energized equal rights activism.
For "The Most of Special Collections," UVA Library staff and friends identified twenty one categories that would provide superlative examples of the Library's collections, and within each category they made appropriate selections for display. The description of each item in the exhibition was written by the person who chose the item.
Through letters and diaries, photographs, newspaper accounts, and personal mementos, "Hearts at Home" examines different aspects of southern women's experiences at home and on the battlefield during the Civil War.
A fortuitous combination of events and personalities has made the University of Virginia Library the repository of one of the most extensive collections of Tibetan literature in the world. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" exhibition aims to demystify the sacred Tibetan texts on death and dying and to create an opportunity to share the wisdom of these ancient beliefs and practices with the University community and beyond.
The University of Virginia's history is filled with fascinating tales, amusing traditions, and inspiring alumni. Through photographs, letters, and mementos, "All the Hoos" explores the history of the University through the lives of its students and its faculty.