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students looking at antiphonal

Music Class Learns About Sacred Songs from 450-Year-Old Choir Book

One of the prized rare books in our Boone Special Collections and Archives is an antiphonal, or choir book, dating from 1572. Made for a Franciscan convent in Seville, this massive, exuberantly decorated antiphonal was used by its nuns for more than two hundred years. At the beginning of this semester, professor of music Ryan Board brought students enrolled in his History of Sacred Music (MUS 467) course to view the book and even do an impromptu performance for passers-by.

portrait of David Randall

Collection Maintenance Supervisor David Randall Makes Finding Missing Books Seem Easy

If you’ve wandered the stacks of a library, you’ve probably wondered how one keeps track of so many books. Payson Library alone has thousands of physical objects on its shelves—including books, magazines, DVDs, and CDs. And it’s here at our flagship library that collection maintenance supervisor David Randall makes sure everything is where it is supposed to be. Director of library programming and public affairs Jeffrey Bowen recently sat down with David to find out how he makes what seems like the impossible, possible.

portrait of Melissa Pichette

Alumna Melissa Pichette (‘96) Takes Joy in Finding the Hard-to-Find

Although Melissa Pichette's work for Pepperdine Libraries is mostly behind-the-scenes, it's vital to the success of our patrons' research efforts. And she's been making a profound impact at Pepperdine Libraries for the better part of three decades. In this blog post, director of library programming and public affairs Jeffrey Bowen sits down with Melissa to talk about her work as interlibrary loan supervisor.

inside cover

From the Vault: Wordsworth’s Greek New Testament

Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885), doctor of divinity and Anglican Bishop of Lincoln, penned many religious and literary tomes, including the memoirs of his uncle, the celebrated poet, William Wordsworth. But it is his commentary on the Bible, "The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," in the Original Greek with Introductions and Notes, that is widely regarded as his magnum opus. In this post, Lucy Perrin, director and archivist for the Rushford Center and the Churches of Christ Heritage Collection, explains the importance of this Bible.

book covers

2023 Summer Reading Picks - Part Two

We recently polled library staff and librarians on their summer reading plans. We're pleased to highlight the second half of the selections. The featured titles cover a wide breadth of subjects to explore this summer, including historical fiction, science fiction, mystery, nonfiction, and memoirs. A physical display of the books is on view at Payson Library.

portrait of Rankin Bullard

Makerspace Specialist Rankin Bullard Enjoys Helping Students Bring Their Ideas to Life

This past spring, Pepperdine Libraries was thrilled to open the new iLab at the Drescher Graduate Campus Library. Makerspace specialist Rankin Bullard was instrumental in making this happen. Bullard came to Pepperdine from Abilene Christian University, where he earned a BFA in Theatre and also worked in the ACU Learning Studio. Jeff Bowen, director of library programming and public affairs, recently interviewed Rankin in the iLab about his professional work and his passion projects.

book display

2023 Summer Reading Picks - Part One

We recently polled library staff and librarians on their summer reading plans. The featured titles cover a wide breadth of subjects to explore this summer. A physical display of the books is on view at Payson Library.

Mary Frampton with Save Our Coast Poster, Undated

Mary Frampton Digital Collection Now Available

The Mary Frampton Digital Collection is now live on the Pepperdine Libraries Digital Collections website. Mary Frampton (1930–2006) was a photojournalist and environmental activist who lived and worked in Malibu and Los Angeles. Her papers, and the digital collection, are organized into three categories: personal files, professional files, and Save Our Coast files.

This wood engraving shows a session of the National Woman's Suffrage Association during a political convention in Chicago in 1880.

Database of the Month: Accessible Archives

What began as a hobby in 1990 has turned into a highly acclaimed database of 18th- and 19th-century American primary sources. Accessible Archives is an open access collection of newspapers, periodicals, and print/e-book content, free to use and ever-growing. Its diverse collection is full-text searchable, including digital images and keyed-over text. Researchers can access eyewitness accounts of historical events, cultural articles, advertisements, and opinion pieces. The archives feature full runs of all included newspapers and periodicals.

playing cards

Playing Card Collection Offers Insights into History, Leisure, and Art from the Past Two Centuries

The Edwards H. Metcalf Collection of Playing Cards is a newly processed collection that tells a distinct history of card playing with decks from around the globe dating from 1820 to 1940. The collection was donated by the estate of Edwards H. Metcalf, former Pepperdine board member and grandson of Henry Edwards Huntington, the founder of the Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens.