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~ News from the Rare Books Department of Special Collections at the J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah

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Tag Archives: Alison Conner

Student Filmmaker Finds Stars in Special Collections

21 Monday May 2018

Posted by rarebooks in Video

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Alison Conner, Department of Writing and Rhetoric Studies, Digital Storytelling, Natalie Stillman-Webb, Special Collections

This past spring, students taking Digital Storytelling, a course taught by Natalie Stillman-Webb, Department of Writing and Rhetoric Studies, worked with Alison Elbrader, Special Collections Reference Librarian. One student, Mickenzie Burns, produced this video, inspired by her visit.

Thank you, Mickenzie!

 

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Daily Utah Chronicle Article – Banned Books Come to Marriott Library

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by rarebooks in Chronicle, Newspaper Articles, Physical Exhibitions

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Alison Conner, banned books, Daily Utah Chronicle, Kylee Ehmann, Luise Poulton, Marriott Library, rare books, Special Collections Reading Room

KYLEE EHMANN of the Daily Utah Chronicle writes about the Rare Books exhibition SHHHHH!

Banned Books Come to Marriott Library

banned-books-3

“Poulton said that while an exhibition like this may seem dated in an era where information is primarily spread via the internet, she thinks it’s important for students to know the historical ways people have communicated controversial topics.

‘[The internet is] revolutionary in the way we see our world and the way we get our information, but it’s not the first revolution as far as the way we get our information by a long shot,’ she said. ‘This is a human struggle — this is a human story of trying to get information out.'”

All these books are a permanent part of Rare Books. Anyone can visit the books in person on level 4 of the Marriott Library, as part of the exhibition through November 1, and in the Special Collection Reading Room after the exhibition ends.

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“Time travel exists” – University of Utah student Mary Royal writes about Rare Books impact

22 Friday May 2015

Posted by rarebooks in Uncategorized

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1790, Alison Conner, America, American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, Civil War, Euclid, First Acts of the First Session of Congress of the United States, Gutenberg Bible, history, John Locke, Luise Poulton, Marriott Library, Mary Alicia Royal, Nathaniel Rochester, New York, printing, rare books, Reformation, Rochester, S. J. Quinney College of Law, Special Collections, University of Utah, War of 1812

Time travel exists. On the fourth floor of the Marriott Library I have sat with the founding fathers as they pondered the questions facing the new nation on the heels of the American Revolution, been astounded at the invention of movable type in the revolution of the printing process, and solved mathematical principles with Euclid. While the famous people who turned the wheels of history are not miraculously hiding out on the U’s campus, the works they created are.

QA31-E86-E5-1482-FirstPage

The rare books collection holds treasures from all corners of the globe that are available to anyone who wishes to uncover the magical milestones in history that helped to shape our present reality. A simple trip to the rare books will undoubtedly inspire and present questions that will lead to more trips back to the collection.

My freshman year at the U I took a class on the Reformation. The syllabus for the course dictated that on a certain day we would gather at the rare books collection at the library. At the time I didn’t know what to expect, and I certainly didn’t realize that this one time excursion out of the classroom and into the library would forever change my experience at the U and my understanding and passion for the study of history.

My class filed into the special collections classroom and were told to wipe our hands with baby wipes. As we cleaned our hands a large hardbound book was set before us. The book was obviously old and as the cover was opened to reveal the pages inside, it was clear it was not of this era. The thickness of the pages, paired with the indentation of the lettering on the page served as clues into a past that was far richer than any normal book in the shelves standing in the library below.

As I stared at the pages, completely enamored by their coloration, markings and engravings, the curator explained that the page sitting before us was an original leaflet of the Gutenberg Bible. Yes, that Gutenberg Bible, the first book printed after the invention of movable type. My heart started racing. I was standing in the same room, feet away from one of the most influential pieces of history in the world. This excitement I felt was multiplied when we were informed that we could come forward and hold it in our hands.


I think I partly expected to have to put on special gloves and admire the copy under glass. But as I moved up in the line, it became clear that I could hold the copy, no gloves, no glass, just me and the book. When the curator put the book in my hands, it was a feeling that I had never felt before. I can only explain it as a mixture of admiration, gratitude, and awe. For those brief moments that I held the leaflet of the Gutenberg Bible in my bare hands, the past and present collided. I was touching the same pages that came off the press nearly 550 years earlier.

I ran my hand over the page and could feel the indentations of the letters, and smell the old fibers of the paper. From this point on my experience at the U was forever changed. It wasn’t long after that trip to the rare books that I made the decision to declare my academic major in history. Every history class I took from that moment until my graduation I would find myself returning to the rare books.

Walking through the doors of the collection, for me, was like taking a step outside of the busy world we live in, to spend a few unadulterated moments with my historical friends. There have been times over the years that I have admittedly been moved to tears at the sight of certain books, and have felt completely unworthy to be in their presence. This happened recently during a project for my Worlds of Benjamin Franklin class.

As a requirement of the course we had to pick a book in the rare books to study and report on. After meeting with Luise Poulton, who was more than willing to sit down with me and explore options for the project, I decided upon the First Acts of the First Session of Congress of the United States. The cover of the book had completely separated from the spine of the book and the pages were old, some of them bent, with writing and notes filling the inside.


As I carefully turned the pages, I was overcome with the sense that I was holding a piece of America. This book is a first edition that was printed in 1790. As I researched the book, I discovered that this particular one was once the property of Nathaniel Rochester, a veteran of the Revolutionary War and the founder of Rochester, New York. As I began to unveil the history lurking behind the signatures on the inside cover I discovered that the book had also gone through the hands of veterans of the War of 1812 and the Civil War as well as influential legal minds in our country’s formative years. And finally, as I sat in the rare books reading room, I became the next person in the storied line of individuals who had the fortune of being part of this book’s history.

As a new graduate of the University of Utah’s History department I’ve spent recent days reflecting on my time at the U. During this reflection I have pondered on both the people that shaped my experiences as well as places that aided in the enrichment of educational pursuits. Although I have encountered multiple people and places that influenced the completion of my degree, I can say, without hesitation, that the rare books collection had the greatest impact on my desire to study history.

While my time in undergrad has come to an end, my relationship with the rare books collection is far from over. As I begin my legal studies at the U’s SJ Quinney College of Law this fall, I know I will find myself visiting a new set of historical friends. I’m confident the writings of John Locke have untold stories and lessons to teach me as I pursue my juris doctorate.


I have told Luise Poulton and Alison Conner, curators in the rare books department, on multiple occasions that I wish I could spend all day in the collection, going through the pages of history that the U has been charged with the immense responsibility of caring for. My wish for future generations of students at the U is that they have the opportunity, to visit the collection and experience the unparalleled feeling and emotion that accompany the opportunity to hold history in your hands. How lucky we are, as students past and present of the U, to have access to such a resource!

Mary Alicia Royal, BA, Class of 2015

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Special Collections Exhibition – An Enduring Spirit: Mormon Women Pioneers

02 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by rarebooks in Physical Exhibitions

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Alison Conner, art, Eliza R. Snow, Ivy Baker Priest, J. Willard Marriott Library, Julia Huddleston, Mary Jane Mount Tanner, Maud May Babcock, Molly Steed, Mormon, pioneers, Sara Davis, Special Collections, Special Collections Gallery, The University of Utah, United States, Utah, women

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An Enduring Spirit

“Tell the sisters to go forth and discharge their duties in humility and faithfulness and the Spirit of God will rest upon them, and they will be blest in their labors. Let them seek for wisdom instead of power and they will have all the power they have wisdom to exercise!!!” – Eliza R. Snow

When the Mormon pioneers crossed the plains they came with more than the belongings in their carts and the clothes on their backs. They brought with them a spirit of courage and adventure. The J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections gathers the archives of Mormon women from the earliest pioneers to the present generation. Our collections include: Mary Jane Mount Tanner, an early poet who recorded the stories of her pioneer mother; Maud May Babcock, one of the first female professors at the University of Utah, who directed art programs for women at the university and in the Utah community; Ivy Baker Priest, the second woman Treasurer of the United States; women who fought to defend their political and religious beliefs; and women who encouraged others through the seemingly simple task of managing a household and caring for their families. The pioneering spirit of these women and many others inspires current and future generations of Mormon and non-Mormon women.

February 25 – April 27

Exhibition: An Enduring Spirit: Mormon Women Pioneers

Curators: Alison Conner, Julia Huddleston, Molly Steed, Sara Davis

Location: Special Collections Gallery, J. Willard Marriott Library, level 4

Gallery hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00–6:00; Saturday, 9:00–6:00; Hours differ during University breaks and holidays.

The exhibition is FREE and open to the public.

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Daily Utah Chronicle Article – Rare Books at the U make History Come Alive

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by rarebooks in Chronicle

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Alison Conner, Daily Utah Chronicle, Luise Poulton, Mary Royal, rare books, University of Utah

Daily Utah Chronicle reporter, Mary Royal, talks to Rare Books Managing Curator Luise Poulton, and Curator Alison Conner about rare books at the University of Utah.

Rare Books at the U make History Come Alive

“The real value of the collection cannot be measured in numbers…,” Poulton said. “…It is not about the money, but absolutely about the emotional connection that can be made with the past and with the books.”

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Rare Books Online Exhibition

14 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by rarebooks in Online Exhibitions

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Alison Conner, American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, pamphlets, Thomas Paine, William Pitt

New Online Exhibition – Fighting Words: American Revolutionary War Pamphlets

Fighting Words

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Daily Utah Chronicle – U library collection highlights banned literature

26 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by rarebooks in Chronicle

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Alison Conner, Banned Book Week, Daily Utah Chronicle, Marriott Library, rare books, Special Collections, Stephen Willis

Daily Utah Chronicle reporter Stephen Willis talks to Rare Books curator Alison Conner about rare books for Banned Book Week.

U library collection highlights banned literature

‘The history of banned books is nearly as old as the history of written language, said Alison Conner, a rare books curator in Special Collections at the Marriott Library.’

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University of Utah rare books featured in University of Washington graduate student capstone project

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by rarebooks in Online Exhibitions, Physical Exhibitions

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Alison Conner, American Revolution, J. Willard Marriott Library, rare books, University of Utah, University of Washington

Alison Conner, Rare Books Curator and MLIS candidate at the University of Washington, used rare books as the focus of her capstone project. Based on a physical exhibition Alison curated in 2012 as another school project, Alison designed and produced a collaborative, multimedia, online exhibition. Visit fightingwordsonline.org for a virtual tour of the American Revolution, told through the words of those who fought it. Videos, scanned images, and text work together to enhance the experience. Alison worked with faculty and students from the University of Utah’s Theater department, Film and Media Arts department; and staff from the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Scholarship and Information Services and Special Collections’ Rare Books Division.

fightingwordsonline.org

fightingwordsonline.org

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Congratulations, Alison!

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by rarebooks in Awards

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Alison Conner, University of Utah Staff Council Scholarship

Alison Conner, Curator of Rare Books, was awarded the University of Utah Staff Council Scholarship for Spring Semester. Read about her and the other winners at the Staff Council Website.

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Fox 13 News – Uniquely Utah: Rare book collection

04 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by rarebooks in Alice, TV News

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Alison Conner, Greg Thompson

Fox 13 news featured a segment highlighting the recent donation to the Rare Books Division. Watch the clip below.

Uniquely Utah: Rare book collection

Featuring appearances from: Greg Thompson, Associate Dean for Special Collections and Alison Conner, Rare Books Curator

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