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Category: Lunchtime Lectures and Videos

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Loving the Stars- Telescopes, from Galileo to James Webb

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Today’s post is from science reference librarian  Margaret Clifton.  She is also the author of Saving Energy: The Fall Back Position, Stars in his Eyes and Sun Spots this Summer.  I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night – Sarah Willams (1837-1868)* In February of 2010 I wrote a post  for Inside …

Cover from the June, 1914 issue of Vanity Fair of three fashionable women and a young girl holding a dog on a leash gathering on a street, conversing. Behind them people walk and a coachman drives a carriage.

Eleanor Lambert–Empress of Seventh Avenue

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

… [Eleanor Lambert] realized that the American fashion industry, along with the individual designers deserved to be treated as equals on the world stage. From that moment on, this idea would become her driving passion. (John Tiffany, Eleanor Lambert: Still Here, Pointed Leaf Press, c2011: p.19) On Thursday February 2, 2012 we are hosted a …

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Through the Lens of Opera

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Disregard what you learned from the history books about the first sound movie, first color TV program, first  stereo broadcast….because opera did it first! Some of the first synchronized sound movies were of opera arias shown at the Phono-Cinema-Theatre at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair. A sound movie of the complete opera Faust was released …

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A Renewable Feast

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

You might find yourself this holiday season with extra food from gatherings with family and friends. You certainly do not want to let the food go to waste – so what do you do?  How about turning your leftover food into a new tasty meal? Of course you can make classic soup and sandwiches from …

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When Washington Bailed Out Mom and Pop

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Our guest author today is  Gulnar Nagashybayeva a Business Reference Specialist. Gulnar has been with Business Reference Services of the Science, Technology & Business Division for almost three years. Previously she worked as Government Documents librarian/contractor at the Central Library of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She holds a Master’s in Library Science degree …

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Observing Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Did you know that the food and the word chocolate (choolatl/ xocolātl) originated from Mesoamerica (part of Mexico and Central America)? The Aztecs and the Mayans were some of the first people to consume chocolate, mostly in beverage form, for medicinal and religious purposes. In fact, many foods we consume today, like avocados, chilies, corn, …

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Food Thrift: Scraps from the Past

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

Today’s post is authored by Constance Carter, head of the science reference section. Connie has written for us before, see her post - Celebrate with a Chocolate Chip Cookie. Today, as the country recovers from an economic downslide, we can seek our forebears’ advice and learn from their ingenuity. How exactly did they use their talents to …

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Celebration of Machu Picchu

Posted by: Jennifer Harbster

The following is a guest post by Barbara Tenenbaum, a specialist in Mexican Culture and Curator of the  Jay I Kislak Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division. On Wednesday, June 29 from 6-8 pm, the Hispanic Division and the Embassy of Peru are presenting a conference on “Machu Picchu:  a Centennial Celebration” in the …