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Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Merry Christmas from the University of St. Thomas Libraries

Among the many treasures in the University of St. Thomas Libraries’ Rare Books collection are volumes sure to spark your Christmas spirit. Throughout our shelves you’ll find charming works that reflect the season’s traditions, celebrations, and stories. Featured below are a few examples from the collection that center on the Nativity story:

Frankincense and Myrrh
Susan L. Mitchell and Jack B. Yeats, Cuala Press, Churchtown, Ireland, 1912

Susan Mitchell, a notable Irish nationalist, poet, and essayist of the early 20th century, authored this small pamphlet of poems, Frankincense and Myrrh. As a close friend of the Yeats family in Sligo, she collaborated with Elizabeth Yeats of the Cuala Press and the renowned artist Jack B. Yeats to bring this publication to life.

The Irish Christmas
Published by Candle Press, Dublin, 1917
Woodcut from a drawing by Sadb Trinnseach; poem by Joseph Campbell

One of the earliest publications from Colm Ó Lochlainn’s renowned Three Candles Press, The Irish Christmas is a poignant reflection of Irish identity and independence. The pamphlet features poems in both English and Irish by writers connected to the nationalist cause. Illustrator Saodhbh Trinnseach, known for her dedication to the Irish language and culture, contributed the woodcuts in the piece.

 

Gloria in Profundis
G. K. Chesterton and Eric Gill, Faber & Gwyer Ltd., London, 1927

Part of the Ariel Poems series, this small yet profound pamphlet, Gloria in Profundis, features a single poem by G. K. Chesterton, one of England’s most celebrated Catholic authors. The accompanying wood engravings of the Nativity scene were designed by Eric Gill.   Gill, who had been deeply influenced by Chesterton’s writings on Distributism, established the Ditchling community—a Catholic artists’ commune dedicated to craftsmanship and simplicity.

Christmas Wayfarers [and Other Poems].
O’Byrne, Cathal. Dublin: At the Sign of the Three Candles, 1932.

Published in 1932, Christmas Wayfarers was authored by the Belfast-based singer, poet and writer Cathal O’Byrne.  Published in Dublin by the Colm O’Lachlan’s Three Candles Press, the volume is illustrated with a series of unattributed woodcuts.

December 2, 2025 by
Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Celebrating the 150th Birthday of G. K. Chesterton!

On May 29th,  the world will celebrate the enduring legacy of the remarkable English author, critic, Catholic apologist, and philosopher, G. K. Chesterton, on what would have been his 150th birthday. Revered as “the apostle of common sense,” Chesterton’s literary repertoire spans across various genres – from prose to poetry, drama to journalism – covering a wide array of topics including history, theology, and current events, all infused with his distinctive wit and irony.

While many know Chesterton for his influential autobiography, Orthodoxy, where he vividly recounts his journey to Christianity, his contributions extend far beyond this seminal work. A convert to Roman Catholicism in 1922, Chesterton is perhaps best remembered for his metaphysical thriller, The Man Who Was Thursday, his noted work of apologetics, The Everlasting Man,  biographies of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas and, of course, the beloved Father Brown mystery series.

At the St. Thomas Libraries’ Special Collections Department, we curate a treasury of over 2,000 first editions, fine printings, and foreign translations of Chesterton’s literary masterpieces. This collection is one of the most comprehensive gatherings of its kind in the United States. For more information see our website.

May 16, 2024 by
Art, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Artstor moving to Jstor on August 1st

jstor and artstor logos

No doubt many of you have learned that Artstor will permanently become Artstor on JSTOR effective August 1st. All current Artstor access points on the UST Libraries site will redirect to JSTOR on August 1st. Given that JSTOR is one of the most frequently used online resources by students and faculty, this migration should help everyone easily find Artstor’s growing collections of images. JSTOR will include the same functionality as the current Artstor platform with enhanced capabilities, such as the two search tabs: All Content and Images. To learn more about what’s included in this move, JSTOR has provided an Artstor on JSTOR support page.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to Ask Us.

 

January 31, 2024 by
News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Folio Society Books on Exhibit

Step into the O’Shaughnessy Room, affectionately known as “The Leather Room,” on the main floor of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by a treasure trove of classic works of history and literature. These gems were generously donated to the library by the late John O’Shaughnessy (grandson of I. A. O’Shaughnessy and a former member of St. Thomas’s Board of Trustees).

This remarkable collection pays homage to the artistry of the book. A significant portion of this collection is the output of the Folio Society, a publisher renowned for producing exquisite, illustrated editions of the world’s greatest books and facsimiles of historically significant manuscripts.

Currently on display within the room’s exhibit cases are:

– a facsimile of “The Royal Choirbook”: a collection of vocal motets which were presented King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in 1518.

–  a facsimile of the Hereford Mappa Mundi: the largest and most elaborate map of the fifteenth century, offering a captivating glimpse into the geographical and cultural perceptions of the era.

–  limited edition publications of Jonathan Swift’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories.

January 29, 2024 by
Latin America, Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Hispanic Heritage Month (Music and Videos)

Let’s Celebrate Hispanic History Month! with some videos and music. Here are some top films and music to celebrate Hispanic history, art, and culture available to watch or listening online from the Music & Media Collections.

Finding Gaston

Watch Online. Can a cook change his country through his food? FINDING GASTON follows acclaimed chef Gaston Acurio, founder of the world-reknowned restaurant group La Mar Cebicheria and the man largely credited with popularizing Peruvian cuisine across the globe, to find out the stories, inspirations, and dreams behind a man on a mission to change his country with his food. Join the culinary journey into the world of Peruvian cuisine to discover the power of food in Peru, and around the world.

The Latino List

The Latino List: Volume 1 “A unique glimpse into the vibrant and burgeoning culture of Hispanic America through a series of highly personal video portraits of Latinos who have richly contributed to the fabric of contemporary society.
The Latino List: Volume 2

Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla

Enjoy famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing the music of Astor Piazzolla in this Grammy Award-winning audio recording of traditional tango, infused with elements of jazz and classical music to create tango nuevo.

Archivo de Guatemala

Spanish colonies in Central and South America emerged as wellsprings of cultural activity throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The meeting of indigenous populations with Latin American cathedrals and courtly life.

By Cindy Badilla-Melendez

September 16, 2022 by
Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Watch Inspiring Documentary Inocente

INOCENTE is an intensely personal and vibrant coming of age documentary about a young artist’s fierce determination to never surrender to the bleakness of her surroundings. Told through her own words, Inocente describes the freedom she feels when she paints and her dreams for the future.

At only 15 years of age, Inocente refuses to let her dream of becoming a successful artist be ruined by being an undocumented immigrant that has been homeless for nine years in San Diego.

Although Inocente has such a dark past, filled with an abusive father who was deported, a mother of four who took her hand and was ready to jump off a bridge into the ocean, living in different shelters, and struggling to get by, her art is anything but dark and meaningless. It is full of color and life, just like her.

Inocente has the opportunity to put on an art show, showcasing her different paintings. While she is successful in this regard, her family life appears to be faltering as she makes the decision to move away from her mother and into a shelter for teens.

INOCENTE is both a timeless story about the transformative power of art and a timely snapshot of the new face of homelessness in America, children. Neither sentimental nor sensational, INOCENTE will immerse you in the very real, day-to-day existence of a young girl who is battling a war that we rarely see. The challenges are staggering, but the hope in Inocente’s story proves that the hand she has been dealt does not define her, her dreams do.
Learn more about Inocente, and other children like her at Inocentedoc.com

 

By Nicole Wanttie

August 12, 2022 by
Media/Music Collections, Music, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Summer Streaming with the Music & Media Collections

Hi Tommies!! We hope you’re having a restful summer break! We sure miss seeing you on campus and can’t wait for the fall. In the meantime, there are still ways for you to enjoy the Music & Media Collections if you’re off campus or back home for the summer.

If you’re missing hitting the movie theatre with your friends, check out Swank and Feature Films for Education. Both streaming databases offer a wide variety of popular feature films for your viewing pleasure, and more are getting uploaded almost every day.

If you’re more into documentaries, look no further than Music & Media. We offer many streaming databases that are full of documentaries showcasing different topics.

Psych, Soc, Social Work Majors or grad students? Look into our Counseling and Therapy in Video or Psychotherapy.net databases for extra resources on therapy practices and applicable skills.

Music Majors or just a fan of the arts? Look at the 1,500 films we have access to through Medici.tv. Films on here include classical music concerts, operas, ballets, and master classes.

Looking to brush up on another language? Digitalia offers an assortment of documentaries from Spain, France, other European countries, North America, and Latin America (Mexico, Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil).

Don’t have anything specific in mind that you’re interested in and just want to browse? Academic Video Online, Docuseek, Films on Demand, Projectr EDU and Under-Told Stories. All these databases offer a wide variety of documentary films and there is sure to be something you’ll enjoy.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

 

July 7, 2022 by
Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Happy International Women’s Day Tommies

Today we celebrate the accomplishments of women in all areas of society, social, political, and economic.
To help you celebrate the day, we put together some of our favorite documentaries, made by women, for everyone to learn more about what it means to be a woman today.

 The F Word
Summary: Why does the word “feminism” have so many different meanings in the United States? Men and women from diverse backgrounds are interviewed to try to answer this question while creating a platform for discussion about gender roles, stereotypes, and the feminist movement.

A Girl Like Her
Summary: A girl like her reveals the hidden history of over a million young women who became pregnant in the 1950s and 60s when “nice girls” didn’t get pregnant. It was a time when young women were routinely expelled from high schools and colleges and banished to maternity homes or distant relatives where they could give birth, surrender their babies for adoption, and start over with a clean slate. But did they? The film combines footage from educational films and newsreels – that both reflected and shaped the public’s understanding of single pregnancy during that time – with the voices of these mothers as they speak today about the long-term impact of surrender and silence on their lives.

Wonder Women! : The Untold Story of American Superheroines
Summary: A nuanced critique of gender and heroism in popular culture as well as a powerful dose of Vitamin F(eminism) for the undernourished. From the birth of the 1940s comic book heroine, Wonder Woman, to the blockbusters of today, Wonder Women! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about strong and healthy women. Wonder Women! reveals the complicated negotiations girls and women face as they attempt to achieve confidence, strength, and agency in a society often at odds with those goals. Yet it also inspires through its evocative images, upbeat soundtrack, and richly contextualized history of American superheroines — including the everyday wonder women and action girls in our midst. The film goes behind the scenes with Lynda Carter, Lindsay Wagner, comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines such as Gloria Steinem, Kathleen Hanna, and others who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male-dominated superhero genre.

Come check out these films and more on this topic at the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

March 10, 2022 by
Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Happy Valentine’s Day Tommies

Happy Valentine’s Day Tommies,
Love is in the air. To help you feel the love, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite romcoms to share with you all. Take a look at some of the films we have available for you to check out!
10 Things I Hate About You. Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”. Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) is beautiful, smart and quite abrasive to most of her fellow teens, meaning that she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), house rules say that she can’t date until Kat has a boyfriend, so strings are pulled to set the dour damsel up for a romance. Soon Kat crosses paths with handsome new arrival Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger). Will Kat let her guard down enough to fall for the effortlessly charming Patrick?

Mamma Mia (2 Disc Collection) New to our collections is the 2-disc collection of Mamma Mia and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again sing Along Editions. Mamma Mia is the story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: “Join the celebration, sing and dance, and discover how it all began! … Sophie … is now pregnant, and like her mother Donna … she’ll need to take risks.”
Titanic A timeless love story born of tragedy that created an international phenomenon. This epic masterpiece is destined to sweep audiences anew into the journey of a lifetime. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, try checking our online display for more movies on our streaming databases.

Have a particular film in mind that you want but still haven’t found it on there? Come into the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A. We’ll be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 11, 2022 by
Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Athletics Footage from the University Archives

 

The University of St. Thomas Archives collects and preserves hundreds of films and videos documenting St. Thomas athletics teams from the past.   Many of the original recordings require playback equipment which is obsolete or hard to find (think VCRs).  Additionally – these recordings are at risk because the chemical composition of the motion picture film, audio and video tape is deteriorating and could result in the loss of the recording.


In its new Athletics digital collection, the University Archives features 170 St. Thomas athletics recordings (dating from 1948 to 1994) that have been digitally reformatted to ensure their preservation.  The collection includes a cross-section of men’s and women’s sports and content, including coach’s films,  television broadcasts and season highlight reels.  Among recordings in this collection are:

 

New content will be added to the collection over time.   So – check back soon to see if more footage has been added for your favorite sport!

February 2, 2022 by