Read a Rare Book This Summer

The San Francisco Public Library’s summer reading program Summer Read SF 2012 begins on June 1. Many readers enjoy books throughout the year, yet there is something inviting about summer reading that encourages one to stretch out a bit: perhaps to spend more time reading while on vacation; to indulge in purely entertaining reading; or to undertake a weighty tome that one has always wanted to complete. In the spirit of adding something new to one’s summer reading regimen, consider reading  a rare book in the Donohue Rare Book Room. The Rare Book Room has nearly 17,000 volumes cataloged in Ignacio, ranging from early printed books to contemporary artists’ books. Most titles are printed in English and many can be enjoyed in one or two visits. Experience the unique opportunity of spending time among Gleeson Library’s special collections with a signed first edition or a deluxe illustrated book. Aside from the singularity of it, imagine how fun it will be to answer the question “have you read any good books this summer?”

Donohue Rare Book Room summer hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For further information, please call (415) 422-2036.

John Hawk
Head Librarian, Special Collections & University Archives

From the Archives: Bill Cosby

Distinguished comedian and educator Bill Cosby will be an Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Speaker at the Undergraduate Arts and Social Sciences ceremony on May 18 in St. Ignatius Church. But did you know that Bill Cosby previously visited the University of San Francisco campus 25 years ago in April, 1987? The Foghorn (Volume 82, Number 19) featured a photograph with the caption:

I Spy—Film and television star, Bill Cosby, ducked onto campus over Easter break. Public Safety’s crowd control nonetheless allowed some fans to encircle The Cosby Show’s lead character, and a wily Foghorn photographer managed to snap the shot. Cosby is in San Francisco shooting a new movie. Said Stephanie Martirani (at Cosby’s right), “It was a lot more fun than watching the grass grow.”

The photographs below (the first of which was published in The Foghorn) are from University Archives where they are housed in an extensive collection of University publicity photographs.

With thanks to Gabby Perez for locating the photographs in University Archives and researching their history.

John Hawk
Head Librarian, Special Collections & University Archives

Obituaries and history

Last week, on World AIDS Day, the GLBT Historical Society and the Bay Area Reporter, the local glbt newspaper, released a database of obituaries of persons who died of AIDS. Looking through it is like looking at a time capsule.

I moved to San Francisco in 1983 and like so many gay men of my generation, I remember throughout the 80′s and 90′s reading the BAR’s obituaries each week, sometimes seeing someone I knew, sometimes just reading about all of these lives intertwined here in San Francisco.

I’m sure many people here at USF will look up people they knew. Two people connected to the USF library I thought of were Brooks Liston, who worked in the Law Library, and Steve Corey, who was the Rare Books Librarian here at Gleeson.

Looking through these obituaries, the database really captures a moment in time and helps us remember so many people whose lives touched ours.

AJCU Digital Repository now live online

The Digital Repository is sponsored by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) Library Deans to showcase historic images from AJCU libraries and archives that document the tradition of Catholic higher education.

You can find Gleeson Library’s contribution by selecting “University of San Francisco” in the “Browse by Institution” pull-down menu.