Certainly, Christmas and Hanukkah are not the only well known holidays taking place in December. The month has been a time for celebration throughout history, as far back as the origins […]
Not Just Christmas and Hanukkah
Hard-boiled and Noir Fiction and Film
Travelling through fetid alleyways in the pouring rain, through thronging cities like beating hearts, and darkened rooms echoing gunshots and last breaths, the fiction and film of the hard-boiled and […]
The Dog Days of Summer
Is this Baltimore summer hot enough for you? You might say we have hit the heart of the “dog days” of summer. You might also wonder where the heck that […]
Sign Here!
Did you ever wonder why signatures and autographs carry the enormous weight they do? The history of this fancy of finger-work, this veritable cult of calligraphy is long and varied. […]
Spring DIY
At long last the snows have cleared and Spring is upon us. What better time to get back to the earth, get your hands dirty, and DoItYourself? Our country has, […]
Catalog This!
Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes to make library materials accessible to the public (that’s you!)? After books are selected and ordered, Cataloging staff work their magic to let […]
The Game is Afoot!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock that’s beneath a few more rocks, you’ve doubtless come across the revamped BBC/PBS production of Sherlock. Countless fans have had to wait countless […]
The Days That Never Were
Two hundred sixty one years ago today, nothing happened. The newspapers would have been blank. No sun shone and no cloud stirred. No wars were fought and no treaties signed. […]
In Celebration of Dictionaries
Depression, murder, insanity….not the first words that come to mind when contemplating lexicography. Nevertheless, such is the history of English dictionaries. The stories of Samuel Johnson, James Murray and W.C. […]
Overlooked Genius
Just over a month ago, a number of scholars, researchers, writers and countries were acknowledged for their contributions to their various fields with the award of the Nobel Prize. Throughout […]