Two hundred years after its printing a copy of John Baskerville’s folio edition of the Holy Bible – one of only 1,250 printed in Cambridge, England in 1763 – made its way to Canada. That same rare Bible was transferred by Richard Tottenham to York University Libraries’ (YUL) Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, making it one of only two copies in a Canadian academic library.

 John Baskerville’s folio edition of the Holy Bible was printed by Cambridge University Press in 1763. Baskerville was recognized as a type-setting trailblazer and Random House notes that this edition of the Holy Bible is, “a Baskerville masterpiece, regarded as the finest and most important work from Baskerville’s Cambridge Press.” The Bible was printed in Baskerville’s Great Primer type which is slender and delicate, combining elegance with readability – important traits since the book was intended to be read aloud from church pulpits. T.B. Reed describes the Bible in A History of the Old English Letter Foundries as Baskerville’s “magnum opus… his most magnificent as well as most characteristic specimen.” 

Michael Moir, university archivist and head of Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, notes the scholarly value that this Bible can bring to coursework and research at York. “At first glance one may think a Bible would be an excellent teaching aid for humanities courses, but I think it could seamlessly be integrated into fine arts curriculums and research – specifically book design courses,” says Moir. “John Baskerville is known as a typographic expert and this folio edition of the Holy Bible can be a valuable resource for fine arts undergraduate students studying the evolution of the printing process and typography.”

Speaking to the authenticity and longevity of this 250-year-old Bible are hand-scribed records of birth and baptismal dates within Tottenham’s family, dating back to the year 1810. These recordings trace Tottenham’s lineage and suggest the year in which the Bible was originally purchased by the second Marquess of Ely (Tottenham’s ancestor.) Preserving these familial references was important to Tottenham and part of the reason that he decided to bestow the Bible to Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections. “My siblings and I wanted the Bible to be housed at York so it could be studied and used to enhance scholarship and research,” Tottenham explains. “But I also knew it would be well preserved which was important to me because the Bible contains references to my ancestry.”

This Bible has been entrusted to the archives due, in large part, to a coincidental conversation between Tottenham and York University LA&PS professor, John Lennox. “Richard (Tottenham) and I have been friends and neighbours for many years and in a recent conversation he serendipitously mentioned that he inherited an 18^th century Bible,” Lennox explains. “I thought it would be of great interest to scholars and researchers and a marvelous addition to our rare books collection. I mentioned to Richard that Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections would be able to conserve the Bible’s historical value while making it accessible to the public. I’m delighted about the whole thing and tremendously grateful to Richard for placing the Bible in York University Libraries’ (YUL) care and to Michael Moir for making it happen.”

For more information about John Baskerville’s edition of the Bible or how to integrate it into coursework and research, please contact:

Anna St.Onge
Archivist, Digital Projects and Outreach

 Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Room 305, Scott Library
astonge@yorku.ca

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Photograph and painting:

1)  (From left to right) Professor John Lennox, with friend Richard Tottenham, present John Baskerville’s 18^th century Holy Bible to university librarian, Cynthia Archer.

2)  A painting of the second Marquess of Ely,  Richard Tottenham’s ancestor and purchaser of the John Baskerville Bible in the year 1810.

The newly renovated silent study spaces

“The York University Libraries (YUL) realizes the importance of providing additional seating – each year – to address the evolving needs of students who are looking for quality study spaces. We wanted to make it easy for students to find a place on campus to ‘plug-in’ – to their studies,” says associate university librarian, information services, Mark Robertson.

The transformation of Scott Library’s fourth floor means the original 30 silent study spaces in this area have increased to 166.

We are currently working out logistics and contacts for accommodation for users with disabilities who require access library materials or study spaces.

We will provide more detail as soon as it becomes available.

In part, the renovations will be occurring in the reference area just off the atrium (behind the nail wall sculpture) where the computers and the Scott Reference collection  are currently located.  The construction work will commence in May.  More information will soon be posted on the Libraries web page.  Please stay tuned!

Some preparations of this space will, however, begin Monday, April 19th, when we will be moving the collection of Scott Reference books into a temporary location in the Scott Library atrium (this process should take several days).  If material is needed from this collection during the period it takes to relocate the collection, please inquire at the Information Desk or Research Questions Desk.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience during the renovation process.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Robertson.

The staff of Scott Library recognize that food and drink are often essential components in studying and learning.  However, we are equally committed to ensuring that you have a clean, comfortable, and inviting place to learn outside the classroom walls.  But we need your help!

Please be aware that hot foods and meals such as pizza, fries and pasta are not permitted in any of the York Libraries. Hot foods are often messy, and the oils and sauces on them can do serious damage to property and the important materials that you need for your studies.  As well, these foods often have odours that disturb others.

In most parts of the Scott Library drinks and cold snacks are permitted.   Examples of cold snacks include fruit, cookies, chocolate bars, etc.  Please be aware that the food and drink policies are actually different in different York library locations (eg. Steacie, Frost, etc.).   For more detailed information about what is permitted in the various libraries on campus, please consult the food and drink policy listed on the library’s web site.

To further ensure that the Libraries remains clean and comfortable, we are also asking all users to clean up after themselves.  Please throw your garbage in the many bins located through the library, or take it with you!

Library users in violation of the policy will be kindly asked to discard their food, store it out of sight in a bag or knapsack, or leave the library.

This policy has been put in place for your comfort and enjoyment, and has been endorsed by the Library Student Advisory Council.    Library staff will work hard on your behalf to ensure that the library remains the best place to study outside the classroom, but we need your cooperation to make it happen.

It’s your library, so let’s respect it!

Round the clock access to study space will be available 5 nights a week (Sunday to Thursday nights) this academic year:

• from October 4th until the end of exams in December
• from January 31st to the end of exams in April.

Hours during this period will be Sunday opening through to Friday closing (currently that is Sunday 12 noon to Friday 8pm).  Check here for updates.

During these periods the 24 hour study space on the 1^st floor Central Square area of the Scott Library will be available 5 nights a week (Sunday to Thursday nights). Please note that Friday and Saturday nights this area will close at 8pm.

The late night study area offers study space, computers, wireless access, network drops, photocopiers, printers (colour and b&w), access to the Scott reserve collection and group study rooms. This section of the Scott library has 155 study seats and 22 desktop computers at your disposal. In addition we’ll be lending laptops to augment computer access.

This late night area is monitored at all times by CCTV cameras for your security.  During late night hours patrons are encouraged to take advantage of the services offered by the goSAFE program, which operates from 6 pm to 2am every day.

Those who rely on public transit should be aware of transit schedules. (Please note the last TTC bus leaving campus is at 1:45 am, and the first bus arriving on campus in the morning is at 5:45 am.)

For more details on Library services and operations, please check the Library website.

The York University Libraries would like to invite you to our 2nd annual Graduate Student Library Open House.  This is a great opportunity to:

• Meet subject librarians and other staff who can help you with your research
• Learn about collections and services available to you
• Ask questions and make connections
• See the Graduate Reading Room reserved for your use
• Try out cool databases and electronic resources
• Eat, drink, mix & mingle!

When:  Sept 2nd, 3:30-5:00pm

Where: Graduate Reading Room, 4th floor Scott Library (enter off of Atrium balcony)

Come before or after the FGS Orientation for New Graduate Students.

Any questions, please contact Mark Robertson, x 55601.

At Frost Library an exhibit hosted by Julie Drexler, Glendon Alumni in Print is on public view.

Further information regarding the festival is available at:

http://www.yorku50.ca/festival/

During the festival, library services will not be affected in any way.  If patrons are seeking quiet study space it is recommended they visit the SSH! room (Silent Study Hall) on the second floor of the Scott Library.  Alternatively, the Bronfman Business Library and Steacie Science and Engineering Library can also be used as quiet study areas.

Dr. Ann (Rusty) Shteir is a Professor in Humanities, Atkinson/Faculty of Arts, and also is affiliated with the School of Women’s Studies at York University. She held the position of director of the Graduate Women’s Studies Program from 1993 to 1997.

Prof. Shteir’s April lecture discussed the “bluestockings” of 18th century England. “Bluestocking” was a contemporary pejorative term used to describe women considered too learned, although it was often used against any women who merely had literary or intellectual interests. Dr. Shteir also talked about one, among other coping devices, of the strategies used by women so branded to defend themselves: they employed literary associations with mythological goddesses, since one of the hallmarks of the educated class of the day was a complete familiarity with ancient classical texts and imagery.

For this display, I have collected from our holdings a diverse set of works that Professor Shteir has produced. She has written widely about historical and cultural perspectives on women, nature, and science. Her works include Women on Women (1978) which she edited and wrote an introduction; The Report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Sexual Harassment (1982) for York University; an edition of Mental Improvement (1995), a juvenile science educational work from the 18th century for which she wrote explanatory notes; the award-winning work of Cultivating Women, Cultivating Science: Flora’s Daughters and Botany in England, 1760 – 1860 (1996); a set of essays on higher education for women, Graduate Women’s Studies: Visions and Realities: Papers Arising from a Conference Held at York University, May 1995 (1996); Natural Eloquence: Women Reinscribe Science (1997), a work she co-edited with Barbara T. Gates; and her latest work, Figuring It Out: Science, Gender, and Visual Culture (2006), a combined effort with Bernard Lightman.

Along with these texts, I gathered together a number of publications from our collections related to Professor Shteir’s scholarly interests. These include women, gender, the history of science, early feminist writings, 18th and 19th-century women’s studies, women and botany, mythology and visual culture. Our collections have large numbers of works covering these topics in many different formats, it was difficult to select a small enough representative sample that would fit into the available space. A wide range of materials including analyses of literature, historical surveys and essays, personal narratives, examinations of factors limiting women’s involvement into scientific spheres, bibliographies and government documents written by international, national and provincial authorities are part of the exhibit.

You will be able to find all of the above in one of “coffin” display cases in front of the Information Desk on the second floor of the Scott Library.

I would like to mention that this project would not have been possible without the generous support and kind assistance from the following: Julia Holland. Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections; Steve Tingey, Fei Fung, and Stephanie Kwan, Scott Library; Samira Malakpour and Vicky Drummond, Nellie Langford Rowell Library; Laura Walton, Steacie Library