Reading Time: 6 minutesThis post was guest authored by Mikayla Osso, Collections Operations Supervisor in Collections & Discovery at the Tampa Library   When I was a little girl, there were two toys that I wanted more than anything: a Baby Alive doll and an …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 7 minutesThe USF Libraries’ 1864 printing of American Kitchen, Directory and Housewife by Ann Howe is a later edition of a popular book first published as American Housewife in 1839. The recipe for “Composition Cake” as it is written in the clipping above requires “five cups of shifted flour, three of sugar, two of butter, a tea spoonful of soda, a tea cup of sweet milk, a wine-glass of wine, one of brandy, five eggs, one nutmeg; add a point of seeded raising if you want the cake quite rich.”

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn honor of National Author’s Day, Digital Dialogs wanted to share with you some of our favorite authors. The recommendations below were submitted by our very own USF Libraries’ staff and faculty. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry… this list really has something for everyone! …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 5 minutesRichard Schmidt, Digitization Coordinator in the Digital Initiatives unit, Special Collections takes us on a Halloweenie journey through the USF Library Special Collections’ spookiest dime novels wit his review of “The Haunted House on the Harlem” from Pluck and Luck issue 1074, dated January 1st, 1919.

Reading Time: 2 minutesDion Boucicault (1820-1890) was a prolific and innovative playwright, actor, producer, manager, and director of the 19th-century, English-speaking stage. This year, the collection gained a newly digitized play, just in time for Halloween. The Vampire, a supernatural melodrama explores two encounters with a mysterious phantom, blending elements of the supernatural with dramatic tension.

Reading Time: 4 minutesToday’s bake takes us back to 1908, when the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, Florida published its Woman’s Club Cook Book, a 220-page community collection spanning everything from soups to “chafing dish recipes” to “diet[s] for the sick.” These early 20th-century cookbooks are more than just recipe compilations, they’re cultural documents of women’s lives, networks, and foodways.

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn a world of satellite imagery and interactive maps, it’s easy to forget that some of our most important mapping tools have deep historic roots.

Reading Time: 4 minutesRebekah Nault bakes a recipe for strawberry shortcake from Mrs. Lincoln’s Boston Cook Book – What To Do and What Not To Do in Cooking.

Reading Time: 4 minutesOnce a vibrant community in West Tampa, Roberts City was notable for its residents, bustling businesses, and nationally recognized athletes. Today, it is remembered only through historical markers, cherished memories of former residents, and the archives they preserved.

Reading Time: 5 minutesIn honor of National Reading Month, Digital Dialogs asked members of USF Libraries’ faculty and staff to share a story about a book sparked their love of reading. Read one of these stories below! This post was guest authored by Henesis Veras, …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 6 minutesThis post was guest authored by Alexandra Vargas-Minor, Florida Studies Curator and Campus Archivist at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library on the St. Petersburg campus   Growing up in a family of bakers, I have always had an affinity for baking and …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesIn honor of Library Lovers’ Day, Digital Dialogs asked members of USF Libraries’ faculty and staff to share a story about a book that impacted their life. Read one of these stories below! This guest post was written by Mrudula Ravada, Research …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesThis post was guest authored by Andy Huse, Florida Studies Curator and Librarian in Special Collections at the Tampa Library   There has been a lot of ink spilled about the authenticity of the Jose Gaspar myth. For the better part of …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 5 minutesThis post was guest authored by Andy Huse, Florida Studies Curator and Librarian in Special Collections at the Tampa Library   There must be a whole universe of forgotten recipes. The favorites of yesterday often fall out of fashion, never to return. …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 7 minutesThis post was guest authored by Stephanie Mackin, Archives Librarian in Special Collections at the Tampa Library   Growing up in a Greek and Italian household, I spent many days in the kitchen after school watching and learning how to make traditional …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 5 minutesGuest Post by Richard Schmidt, Digitization Coordinator in the Digital Initiatives unit   Warning: Spoilers Ahead You can check out the entire issue from The New York Detective Library here before continuing any further.  Another Halloween is approaching stealthily through the pumpkin …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesGuest Post by Henesis Veras, Library Data Analyst in the Data Management and Visualization unit   Warning: Spoilers Ahead I will spoil the plot and mystery of this dime novel during my review, but if you would like to check out this …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 6 minutesThis post was guest authored by Rebekah Nault, Library Specialist in Library Services at the Tampa Library   From an early age, I tried to establish a solid relationship with baking, even though there were times when baking thought we would be …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 11 minutesThis post was guest authored by Leslie Boydstun, Course Reserves Library Specialist For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing to talk about has been books. I love to find out what people are reading, why they love the genres …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 5 minutesSummer days are here at last! Today, we will experience not only the first day of summer but also the longest day of the year.   In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice (aka summer solstice) occurs when the Sun travels along its …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe USF Oracle has been the student newspaper of USF since 1966, when it replaced the Campus Edition of the Tampa Daily Times. The USF Libraries have been digitizing the print editions of the Oracle from 1966 onward and adding them to the USF Oracle Archive in our online digital collections

Reading Time: 5 minutesThis post was guest authored by Tomaro Taylor, Director of USF Libraries’ Special Collections – Tampa campus.   I did not grow up in a family of bakers. My mother cooks and eats out of necessity, and few things are ever the …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 7 minutesThis post was guest authored by Alexandra Vargas-Minor, Florida Studies Curator & Campus Archivist at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, USF Libraries – St. Petersburg campus.   As the incoming Florida Studies Curator & Campus Archivist at the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat is a pet? A companion. A friend. A member of the family. They provide so much comfort and enhance our lives on a daily basis. As proud pet moms, the authors of Digital Dialogs would like to celebrate National Pet Day …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesThis post was guest authored by Jason Boczar, Digital Scholarship and Publishing Librarian at USF Libraries.   This week is  “Take your Poet to School” week, a week celebrating the reading, writing, and history of poetry across the globe. During the week, …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 7 minutesAs someone who works in data analytics and visualization, I had to honor Pi Day in some way. Pi Day serves to raise awareness of the importance, beauty, and relevance of mathematics and its role in shaping our world. Pi, or π, …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 4 minutesBy Stephanie Mackin, Visiting Assistant Librarian, Special Collections  Since its arrival in 1983, the Sociedad la Union Marti-Maceo collection has been a popular and heavily utilized collection at the University of South Florida Libraries’ Tampa Special Collections. The uniqueness and historical significance …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 6 minutesAs an avid baker, I wasn’t about to let National Homemade Bread Day go by without a loaf baked in its honor. Even though bread is not my specialty, I bake bread almost every week. Usually, I dig a well-worn recipe card …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 2 minutesIn honor of National Author’s Day, Digital Dialogs wanted to share with you some of our favorite authors. The reading list below was assembled by our very own USF Libraries’ staff and faculty. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry… mystery, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, thriller… …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 4 minutesGuest Post by Richard Schmidt, Coordinator of Library Operations and Resident Dime Novel Reviewer   Warning: Spoilers Ahead I will be spoiling several of the plot twists in my review, and while I can’t recommend reading this particular dime novel, you can …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you’ve ever had a tour of Tampa Campus Special Collections, then you have probably seen the mock-up of a Picasso sculpture that never came to be. Originally planned to be erected at USF in the 1970s by the sculptor Carl Nesjar, the sculpture was meant to be over 100 feet tall. Recently, additional material from the USF Archives has been digitized. These items provide another glimpse into the monumental sculpture that, if it had been erected, would have drastically changed the feel of USF’s Tampa campus from what we know it to be today.

Reading Time: 2 minutesGuest post by Jason Boczar, Digital Scholarship and Publishing Librarian As it celebrates its fifteenth year, SPARC’s International Open Access Week aims to “raise awareness” about the “importance of community control of knowledge sharing systems.” To celebrate, the team behind USF Library’s …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 2 minutesFood is a way to understand a place and a culture. Sharing a meal is a bonding ritual that transcends many cultural boundaries. The recipes of the past can also teach us about history, with useful tips for today’s challenges. That is the case for Blanche Armwood Perkins’ Food Conservation in the Home:  A Collection of War-Time Recipes. 

Reading Time: 4 minutesAndy Huse, Librarian and Curator for Florida History in Special Collections, USF Libraries, Tampa Campus shares how he assisted Emma Pettit, Senior Reporter at the Chronicle of Higher Education, in her research into the Johns Committee.

Reading Time: 3 minutesBook challenges of the past can seem eerily similar to book challenges today. During the John’s Committee Investigations at the University of South Florida (USF) in the mid-1960s, a number of books and readings, including some written by USF faculty, came under scrutiny for vulgarity, anti-religious sentiment, communist leanings, and pornography.

Reading Time: 4 minutesFrom cats and dogs to lizards and snakes, pets enrich our lives and bring us happiness on a daily basis. Nothing is better than coming home after a long day and being met at the door by an excited pet, ready to give you snuggles. As proud pet moms, the authors of Digital Dialogs would like to celebrate National Pet Day with a look at beloved pets as seen through our USF Libraries’ Digital Collections.

Reading Time: 2 minutesThis year, the 2023 Virtual Undergraduate Research Conference takes place on April 13th. It is the second year the library has worked with the Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR) to host the virtual event. For the 2022 Virtual …Continue Reading

Reading Time: 5 minutesYou may not know Spencer Williams by name, but I bet you know “Everybody Loves My Baby, but My Baby Don’t Love Nobody but Me,” or maybe “Basin Street Blues.” Perhaps you can even sing a few lines of “I Ain’t Got Nobody.” Spencer Williams composed from 200-500 songs, many of which were imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia for the New Orleans he knew in the 1910s (Edwards, n.d.; Chilla, 2022). He was known for being an original, and though some might warmly critique his ideas as ‘shortwinded’ and his harmonies as ‘modest,’ they would still agree “he could write a tune that got to the subject” (“Quite a Moment,” 1965).

Reading Time: 6 minutesDr. Matthew Knight gives an introduction to Dion Boucicault and the updated Dion Boucicault Theatre Collection hub for Irish-American Heritage Month.

Reading Time: 4 minutesGuest post from John Clarke, Coordinator for Florida Environmental and Natural History collections at Special Collections, USF Libraries, Tampa campus highlights the Dr. John Ogden Caribbean and Coral Reef collection as an important collection of marine science research materials.