A 19th-Century Encyclopedia Gets a Modern Makeover
"Iconographic Encyclopaedia of Science, Literature, and Art" was translated and updated by Spencer Baird, a man who would become the Smithsonian's second Secretary. Much like our very own Institution, it covered topics from art to zoology. Today, a new digital edition helps brings its knowledge to 21st-century viewers.
The Intricacies of a Paper-Based Library System
For National Library Week, explore the tools of a vintage library circulation desk. In 1918, they might not have had computers to circulate and track library books, but their paper-based systems were well-thought out. Listening carefully and you can almost hear the "ca-thunk" of the due date stamp!