Apologies for the mistakes in last week’s announcement, the registration links have been corrected.

Topics in Preservation Series (TOPS): Inks and Skins

The manuscripts created from calfskin by secular scholars in Ireland prior to 1600 contain vernacular traditions that are extraordinary witnesses to Gaelic civilization and learning on the western limit of the known world. As artefacts of that civilization, the manuscripts themselves, their creation and survival, have their own tales to tell.

One current project, Inks and Skins, seeks to unearth that narrative by focusing on how and by whom these handmade books were created. It is led by Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin, Professor of Modern Irish in University College Cork. In 2019 Prof. Ó Macháin was the recipient of an Irish Research Council Advanced Laureate Award, which funds the project. The research has involved a combination of enhanced visual analysis, multi-spectral imaging, and X-Ray Fluorescence scanning, together with a range of complementary spectroscopies and techniques. The object has been to understand the writing supports and the composition of inks and pigments used by the secular scholars who created Gaelic vellum hand-written books in the period 1100-1600. Manuscripts before and after the medieval period are studied for comparative and contextual purposes, as are other manuscripts of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Early in the project a fruitful collaboration was established with the Library of Congress, where staff of the Library’s Preservation, Research and Testing Division, led by Dr Fenella France, provided their skill and expertise in the analysis of the manuscripts. Speakers will address the history of the Irish manuscripts, complementary research projects in which they are involved, and the results of the analytical techniques involved in the research.

 

Come join us for a series of lectures on this project September 13, from 10am to 4pm. Register to attend in person at the James Madison Building 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington DC

Mumford Room – 6^th Floor

 Or you can join us through Zoom.

 

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.

The manuscripts created from calfskin by secular scholars in Ireland prior to 1600 contain vernacular traditions that are extraordinary witnesses to Gaelic civilization and learning on the western limit of the known world. As artefacts of that civilization, the manuscripts themselves, their creation and survival, have their own tales to tell.

 One current project, Inks and Skins, seeks to unearth that narrative by focusing on how and by whom these handmade books were created. It is led by Prof. Pádraig Ó Macháin, Professor of Modern Irish in University College Cork. In 2019 Prof. Ó Macháin was the recipient of an Irish Research Council Advanced Laureate Award, which funds the project. The research has involved a combination of enhanced visual analysis, multi-spectral imaging, and X-Ray Fluorescence scanning, together with a range of complementary spectroscopies and techniques. The object has been to understand the writing supports and the composition of inks and pigments used by the secular scholars who created Gaelic vellum hand-written books in the period 1100-1600. Manuscripts before and after the medieval period are studied for comparative and contextual purposes, as are other manuscripts of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Early in the project a fruitful collaboration was established with the Library of Congress, where staff of the Library’s Preservation, Research and Testing Division, led by Dr Fenella France, provided their skill and expertise in the analysis of the manuscripts. Speakers will address the history of the Irish manuscripts, complementary research projects in which they are involved, and the results of the analytical techniques involved in the research.

 

Come join us for a series of lectures on this project September 13 from 10am to 4pm. This event will take place in person at the Library of Congress or you can join us virtually.

Onsite location at James Madison Building 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington DC

Mumford Room – 6^th Floor

 

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.

This event will take place at the Library of Congress on August 8, sessions will take place from 10 am – 12 pm and 2 pm – 4 pm. You can register to attend in person or you can register to watch the sessions virtually.

"Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Book Collection"

For the last five years Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Collection (ANC) Mellon-funded project has collected data on the physical, chemical, and optical characteristics of books from five research libraries in distinct climate regions from across the United States. The selection of over 2500 books is comprised of 500 “identical” titles from the time period 1840-1940 when more acidic paper production processes began.

 This research study was intended for developing a national plan to ensure that books retained and preserved in shared print programs have the best physical properties for long-term preservation. Speakers will address the methodology of the research approach for such a complex data set; the infrastructure and platform needed for extracting active usable data and meeting FAIR data principles; using non-invasive techniques for determining and predicting paper pulp types; chemometric and data modeling; and the potential for simple portable tools. The event will end with a discussion on how the research results compare to long accepted assumptions in the field.

 All webinars are recorded and posted on our website; this process usually takes more than a month. You can find information on our past TOPS events here.

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov

The Library of Congress, Preservation Directorate is hosting four webinars this year for Preservation Week. Although Preservation Week officially starts April 30th, we are offering events the week before. Monday through Thursday we will be presenting webinars every day at 11 am (EDT). On Friday April 28, the Library is hosting NEH and FAIC’s Held In Trust National Convening onsite. For those interested in virtually attending this conference, please see the link below.

Webinars:

Mapping our Collections with Scientific Imaging, Monday, April 24, 11 am EDT Presented by Eric Monroe, PhD., Head Scientific Laboratory Section, Preservation Research and Testing Division

Many people are unfamiliar with “imaging” in collections care and the various methods by which it can be applied. In our imaging of collections, we add more than a visual image of the library or heritage object, we go beneath the layers, and capture a range of information with various scientific instrumentation. Hear about some of our imaging techniques such as multispectral imaging, IRENE, and more. Register here.

Assessing Collections for Space and Condition, Tuesday, April 25, 11 am EDT Presented by Beatriz Haspo, Collections Officer, Collection Management Division

The Library of Congress struggles with storage space like any other institution. This webinar will discuss the Preservation Directorate’s efforts to create an integrated approach to space management and collection needs assessment for its vast collection. Register here.

Web Archiving at the Library of Congress: Preserving Internet History for Memory and Research, Wednesday, April 26, 11 am EDT Presented by Senior Digital Collection Specialists Lauren Baker, Grace Bicho, and Chase Dooley

The Library of Congress Web Archive manages, preserves, and provides access to archived web content selected by subject experts from across the Library. Three experts from the Library’s Web Archiving Program team will present an overview of web archiving, highlighting what web archiving is, who does it and why it is important, and how we approach preservation of web content at the Library of Congress using the United States Election Web Archive as an example. Register here.

An Introduction to the Conservation Internship at the Library of Congress, Thursday, April 27, 11 am EDT Presented by Advanced Conservation Interns Meredith French, Veronica Mercado, Emily Mercer

The photograph, paper, and book sections in the Library of Congress Conservation Laboratory hosts advanced conservation interns from the Buffalo State University and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Book intern, Verónica Mercado, will present on the path students take to pursue art conservation, while photograph intern Emily Mercer and paper intern Meredith French will showcase treatments they are conducting at the lab. Register here.

All webinars will be recorded and posted on our website, this process usually takes 1-3 months. You can find all our past recordings here.

Please request ADA accommodations at least five business days in advance by contacting (202) 707-6362 or ada@loc.gov.

Held in Trust National Convening Friday, April 28

Held in Trust is a four-year cooperative agreement between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) to evaluate the state of preservation and conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the United States. The Convening will be an exciting way to discuss the findings of the project, suggest future directions for the field, and outline the vision of a thriving, equitable, and just community of practice everyone has helped us create. For more information and registration click here.

Move made after more than 90 demonstrators arrested on campus and university cancels pro-Palestinian valedictorianas speech

The University of Southern California (USC) has canceled its main stage graduation ceremony, citing new safety measures as student protests over the Israel-Gaza war have surged on the campus.

USC is one of many campuses across the country that have become hubs for student demonstrations against the war, with hundreds of arrests nationwide as tensions escalate. Police arrested dozens of students and activists at USC this week on trespassing charges.

Wang Yi says recent improvements in ties face adisruptionsa amid threats of sanctions over support for Russiaas defence industry

Chinaas foreign minister, Wang Yi, has warned the US that the recent improvements in the two countriesa relations were being jeopardised by adisruptionsa which could take them back to a adownward spirala leading to rivalry, confrontation and even conflict.

Wang was speaking at the start of a meeting in Beijing with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, at a time of renewed tension in the relations between the superpowers.

Ex-National Enquirer publisher was instrumental in coordinating payments to quash negative stories of Trump during 2016 election

Former tabloid publisher David Pecker is taking the witness stand on Friday, his fourth day this week, in Donald Trumpas New York criminal trial.

Pecker was instrumental in coordinating three hush-money payments that were paid during the 2016 election to quash negative stories about Trump. Pecker has testified that American Media Inc (AMI), the publisher of the National Enquirer, paid $30,000 to a former Trump Tower doorman who said Trump had a child out of wedlock. Another $150,000 was paid to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump in 2006.

JosA(c) AndrA(c)s, founder of organisation, told mourners gathered at Washington National Cathedral how the loss of his staff ashould inspire us to do bettera

The seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by Israeli airstrikes represented the abest of humanitya and risked everything ato feed people they did not know and will never meet,a JosA(c) AndrA(c)s, the celebrity chef who founded the organisation, told mourners on Thursday.

Speaking at Washington National Cathedral to those gathered to honour the aid workers, AndrA(c)s said there was no excuse for the killings and renewed calls for an investigation into the deaths.

Excitement among patients and researchers as custom-built jabs enter phase 3 trial

Doctors have begun trialling in hundreds of patients the worldas first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma, as experts hailed its agamechanginga potential to permanently cure cancer.

Melanoma affects about 132,000 people a year globally and is the biggest skin cancer killer. Currently, surgery is the main treatment although radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used.

First payments to be made during an ongoing conflict is aimportant step towards restoring justicea, says first lady, Olena Zelenska

The first reparation payments are to be made in the next few weeks to survivors of wartime rape by Russian soldiers during the invasion of Ukraine, in a move that Ukraineas first lady, Olena Zelenska, called aan important step towards restoring justicea.

Up to 500 Ukrainian survivors of conflict-related sexual violence are being identified and awarded with interim reparations this year, including financial, medical and psychological support.

Worldas largest public company reports $61.86bn revenue after investing billions into artificial intelligence

Profits at Microsoft beat Wall Streetas expectations as its heavy bet on artificial intelligence continued to bear fruit in the latest quarter.

The technology giant has invested billions of dollars into AI in a bid to turbocharge its growth, particularly of its cloud computing services. Its cloud computing revenue surged by more than 20%.

The former presidentas motion for a new trial was denied and his argument deemed aentirely without merita

A federal judge on Thursday upheld the verdict and award of more than $83m to the writer E Jean Carroll in a defamation case against Donald Trump after he called her a liar for accusing him of sexually assaulting her.

Judge Lewis Kaplan, a senior district judge on the US district court for the southern district of New York, denied Trumpas motion for a new trial and affirmed that Carroll suffered harm caused by Trumpas 2019 public statements.

Arrests as Chinese authorities working with UK police and international trademark agencies seize millions of parcels bound for customers worldwide

Chinese authorities have targeted a major online sales platform accused of supplying counterfeit goods, raiding warehouses holding millions of packages destined for overseas buyers.

Earlier this month police raided the Hangzhou office and several warehouses of Pandabuy after reported legal action by 16 brands over copyright infringement. More than 200 public security branch officers, 50 private sector investigators and local police were involved, according to reports.

Appas asecret sourcea algorithm reportedly core to operations of parent company, which sources say make a sale highly unlikely

ByteDance would prefer to shut down TikTok rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the US, four sources said.

The algorithms TikTok relies on for its operations are deemed core to ByteDanceas overall operations, which would make a sale of the app with algorithms highly unlikely, said the sources close to the parent.

Fujikawaguchiko town official says choice to erect huge barrier is aregrettablea and last resort

A huge barrier to block views of Mount Fuji will be installed at a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.

Construction of the mesh net a 2.5 metres (8ft) high and the length of a cricket pitch at 20 metres a will begin as early as next week, an official from Fujikawaguchiko town said on Friday.

Aspirations for statehood revived among younger generations in refugee camps where war has consumed daily life

The red inverted triangle is everywhere a stencilled on walls, sprayed on store shutters, a constant theme guiding visitors through the narrow alleyways that dissect the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut.

Appearing initially in combat videos released by Hamas in which its fighters target Israeli tanks in Gaza, the newfound ubiquity of the logo in the camp 170 miles (270km) away signals a shift in opinion in favour of armed struggle.

The sweeping foreign aid package passed by congress has drawn the ire of China, but billions of dollars will actually stay in the US

Taiwanas president Tsai Ing-wen has praised the US Congress for passing a sweeping foreign aid package this week which included arms support for the island, and has drawn the ire of China.

After months of delays and contentious debate, the bill was signed into law by Joe Biden on Wednesday. Described as $95bn in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, the legislation actually contains provisions that broadly affect many parts of the Asia-Pacific, while also spending billions of dollars at home in America.

Muslims worry Modias party will rely on familiar tactics of drawing on religious divisions as it battles Congress to to retain seats in Karnataka

The sun scorched the carpeted car park at Mudipu Junction outside Mangalore in Karnataka state as volunteers arranged rows of red plastic chairs and placed mounds of biryani and fruit on the table for a public iftar, the moment Muslims break their fast during Ramadan.

But this was no ordinary iftar. India is in the midst of a general election during which prime minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are seeking a third term, and factionalism is rife.

The actoras feminist credentials, a wholehearted embrace of comedy and being one of the most memed actors on social media has seen Goslingas auto-satirising alpha male become white-hot box office in 2024

In Hollywood, there are no accidents. Ryan Goslingas role in stuntman pic The Fall Guy, hard on the heels of his show-stopping Oscars rendition of Iam Just Ken, is perfectly timed to confirm his ascension to the very top tier of stardom. Not only is it a four-quadrant entertainment turbo boost a covering all audience bases with action, romance, a legacy franchise for the oldies, John Wick-slick for the kids a it is shrink-wrapped to his public persona. His role as stunt veteran Colt Seavers, saving the skin of the idiot megastar he doubles for, caps off the stance Gosling has upheld on talkshows and memes over the last decade: stardom and celebrity as a delectable facade, an in-joke between star and audience to be played with the lightest of ironic touches.

But of course Gosling is a bona fide star, one of Hollywoodas most important. His confused, toxic himbo Ken stole the Barbie limelight from Margot Robbie. Tunnelling into classic archetypes of masculinity with modern self-awareness is the on-screen niche he has made his own a giving us a new, uniquely supple male star for the post-#MeToo era. His mainstream roles a getaway drivers, daredevil motorcyclists, venal bankers a have often been ultra-macho, but the actor himself comes with rounded metrosexual edges. Men want to be him, with his debonair cool and inexhaustible supply of swanky jackets (the leather Miami Vice stunt-team number in The Fall Guy being the latest). As far back as 2017, Morwenna Ferrier noted that Gosling clones, sporting a certain aturbo cleanlinessa, were now on the loose in cities everywhere.

The Broadway Theatre, New York

F Scott Fitzgeraldas novel makes an underwhelming transfer to the stage in a bombastic yet misfiring new production

The musical currently playing at the Broadway Theatre, twirling drunkenly in 1920s opulence, is The Great Gatsby.

Though, perhaps, the latest revival of F Scott Fitzgeraldas novel should be renamed The Gimmicky Gatsby. An attempt to evoke awe through hyper-extended dance intervals and flaccid sets, this remount prioritizes a good time over any purposeful recreation of the American classic.