We’ve held several enlivening and enjoyable events in our Reading Room over the past year or two, since “coming back” to school following the closures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s good to be back in person. But we have also experimented with new hybrid styles of events afforded by technology such as Zoom now […]
“Holy Ground” Book Launch with Catherine Flowers
We at the Burke Library were thrilled to collaborate with the Center for Earth Ethics in hosting a book launch on Jan. 28th in celebration of Catherine Coleman Flowers’s new book Holy Ground: on Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope. A multidisciplinary scholar and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, Flowers spoke with CEE founder […]
Bookbinding and Letterpress Printing: Two Weeks at the Center for Book Arts
“Whenever I bind a book, I make sure everything I do is reversible,” bookbinding instructor Devon Eastland shared with our group of ten library school students at the Center for Book Arts (CBA) on W 27th St. We were mixing personal batches of wheat starch paste in preparation for another day in the bindery. Over […]
Water: Climate & Religion with IRCPL
Last week, the Burke Library staff collaborated with the Institute for Religion, Culture, & Public Life (IRCPL) to host a panel discussion on the role of water in religion and spiritual life in South Asia. “Water” was the 2nd event this year in IRCPL’s “Religion & Climate” series. Attendees from Columbia and Union Theological […]
Haptic Impressions in the Archives
Day 1: I gingerly wriggle the lid from the first of a dozen record cartons in the Alison Cheek Papers; greeted by a slathering of manila and jewel toned folders that hug swatches of lined paper, printed printed paper, heavy stock paper. Handfuls of leatherbound materials peek from the depths of the cardboard box. […]
“The Invention of World Religions” | an Evening with Prof. Tomoko Masuzawa
Where does the phrase “world religions” come from? Nearly 20 years ago, Prof. Tomoko Masuzawa’s book The Invention of World Religions (U. Chicago Press, 2005) set out to trace the trajectory of the concept in modern religious studies and comparative theology to its late-19th and early-20th century roots. Ever since, the book has played […]
Manuscript 49: From Agnietenberg to Zwolle, a Journey Through Time and Technology
Last semester, I had the privilege of participating in the interdisciplinary seminar “Introduction to Medieval Manuscripts,” led by Emily Runde and a team of experts including Susan Boynton, Christopher Baswell, Alexis Hagedorn, and Jeffrey Wayno, in which we embarked on an immersive journey into the world of medieval manuscripts and documents. From codicology and […]
“Black is a Church” Book Talk with Prof. Josef Sorett
The Burke was delighted to host our first large-scale public event in the Reading Room in several years — a reading and panel discussion on Nov. 1st with Dr. Josef Sorett, Dean of Columbia College and Vice President for Undergraduate Education at Columbia University, and Professor of Religion and African American and African Diaspora […]
Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Delores Sevena Williams: Portrait Blessing & Library Event
The Union Theological Seminary Class of 2019 raised funds to commission a new portrait of Dr. Delores Williams, which was finally completed and hung in the seminary this week, an occasion which we marked with great celebration on October 18th. Dr. Williams earned her PhD at Union in 1991, and her influential book Sisters […]
“Thích Nhất Hạnh: Student and Seminarian” | a new exhibit to further student research
This year, Burke librarians and Union Theological Seminary students have begun tracing the trajectory of renowned Buddhist activist and author Thích Nhất Hạnh (born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo) in his years studying at U.S. universities. Our new exhibit, “Thích Nhất Hạnh: Student and Seminarian,” showcases reproductions of original archival documents and invites visitors to consider […]