I'm in love...
and it's not just a fleeting flirtation... it's deep, abiding passion we are talking about here...
I love my university library
Indeed I think the library is the very best thing about undertaking any course of study at a university (or so I've constantly written in any 'unit evaluation' that I've had to complete!)
As an external student my only meaningful contact with my library is via the internet and I have been known to spend a dreadful amount of time trawling through the online library catalogue..... and when I discover a 'must have' treasure - I send in a request and my uni library pops the book in the post for me to have and hold - at any given time I have between 10 and 25 uni library books on loan - and over the last couple of years I've (apparently) come to be known by the Monash University library staff as 'the woman with all the books' (hee hee hee if only they could see my pile of books in the studio and shed......)
Right now I've got some fantastic titles out on loan that I think every booky person would love to get their hands on.....
* the Artists Book Year book 2010-2011 (a damn good resource I say - and nice to see so many Australian links...)
* I've just started looking through The Mysterious Marbler by James Sumner - originally printed in 1854, last year Oak Knoll issued a special reprint - with gorgeous handmarbled paper examples enclosed....
look....
purrty....
* then there's Fine Bookbinding - a technical guide by Jen Lindsay (again published last year by Oak Knoll.... they are fast becoming my favourite publishers....) This book isn't filled with photos and illustrations, but has detailed (and I do mean detailed!) instructions for leather codex binding - I like what I'm seeing/reading so far...
* I love love loved Alphabet Stories by Hermann Zapf - with many anecdotal tales by the man who developed the Palantino type family and created Zapf dingbats! (you don't have to be a calligraphic/typographic creature to enjoy the stories...)
* I've also just received 'perfect paper' by page one..... ooooo pretty (and again a heap of aussies included)!
* and earlier this week I had to endure an 8hr bus trip to Sydney (shudder).... lucky I had 'the book is dead (long live the book)' by Sherman Young to help keep me amused!
ahhhhh my university library - how do I love thee? let me count the ways...
Inter library loan is such a wonderful resource, isn't it? My great love is museum libraries. That's a great collection of books you're reading, Ronnie, and I love your link to The Book is Dead - I've just spent ages reading it. And that example of marbling you showed is just something to lift the spirits! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAh Ronnie, you are speaking from my heart. When I finished my MFA I was lost...no more library access! I have actually paid an annual fee to access Griffith Uni library AND I've just dicovered that through our council library I can get inter-library loans via Libraries Australia. It's fantastic! Ah books! the best invention ever!
ReplyDeleteYep! Me, too! When P. was doing his degree through Griffith I had a lovely time.
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