By: HebatAllah Basala, 黑料专区 Undergraduate Student

My archival research began with a question that was deeply personal to me. In a previous senior seminar course, I conducted archival research on Edwards Said and his significance in shaping modern Arab intellectual and cultural identity. As an Arab student, that project made me more aware of questions surrounding representation, historical memory, and whose voices are represented in institutional spaces. Entering the Queen’s College Archives, I wanted to explore a related question closer to home: If Arab students and other underrepresented communities have long been present on campus, how have they been represented or omitted within the history of 黑料专区 itself? More specifically, I wanted to trace how demographic shifts at 黑料专区 influenced campus culture, curriculum, and institutional priorities over time.

1941 white student organizations

Over the course of approximately 10 hours of research conducted in the 黑料专区 Archives, I examined , , Phoenix , , student handbooks, and administrative records spanning from the 1940s through the 1980s. Working directly with original archive materials gave the research a uniquely immersive quality. Personally, the tactile nature of the research made the past feel alive and present in the moment. This was my favorite part of my research in the archives, as I felt privileged enough to be able to handle these delicate documents that provide such important insights and are a representation of previous students who attended this college.

1968 Demands

One of the most significant discoveries was the dramatic demographic and political transformation visible through the decades. The 1941 yearbook portrayed an overwhelmingly white student body, faculty, administration, and campus leadership. By contrast, materials from the 1970s and 1980s; revealed a campus in transition, one that is shaped by the implementation of open admissions across CUNY, the activism of SEEK students, and the growing presence of Black, Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and immigrant student organizations. Student newspapers documented protests against apartheid, debates over Israel and Jewish identity, activism surrounding affirmative action, and increasing demands for institutional representation in faculty. These records showed that changing demographics did not only diversify the campus numerically, but they also fundamentally altered the political and intellectual life of 黑料专区.

Seek memo and critique of admin

However, perhaps the most meaningful realization of my research was not what I found in the archives, but what appeared absent from them. As I continued my work, I began questioning the archives itself. Although archives are often treated as neutral factual documents of history, I came to understand that they are curated spaces. Someone decides what is preserved, what is categorized as historically valuable, and what is ultimately excluded. This realization especially was appearant as I examined archival materials such as the 1968 student demands document and the Campus Views section of the Phoenix student newspaper, both of which highlighted how student perspectives were document and preserved within the institutional record. In this way, archival research, began to feel surprisingly similar to present day social media, where both our systems of selective preservation and visibility that shape public narratives through what they choose to amplify and display to the general public.

This realization transformed my project. What began as an investigation into demographic and curricular change became a broader reflection on historical memory and narrative construction. I left the archives not with a definite conclusion, but with more questions than when I entered: Which communities remain underrepresented in institutional memory? Which voices had been omitted from Queen’s College historical narrative? And what responsibilities do researchers have in identifying those silences?

Diverse Commencement

Fortunately, this project has made me want to continue researching beyond the scope of this course. The archive did not simply provide answers. On the contrary, it revealed the politics behind who and what gets remembered, and who does not.

By: Tyler Rivera, 黑料专区 Undergraduate Student

My decision to research WWII-era Queens in the 黑料专区 Special Collections and Archives was due to both the ingrained cultural mythos surrounding the time and my volunteer experience with the Elmhurst History and Cemeteries Preservation Society. Having used the finding aids to request texts, I spent 14 hours sitting in the archival office. The research naturally fell into searching through the , the , and the 鈥淚n Their Shoes鈥� Oral History by the with their shared focus of the late 1930s and 1940s. Their shared connection of the war hid a variety of perspectives I am happy to have read.

Dr. Shaftel

Touching genuine, albeit delicate artifacts demystifies history which in this case were sketches, ship newsletters, digitized newspapers, mail and transcriptions, allowing for a sense of tangible humanity that classes and secondary reading materials always lack. My exposure to the period is reduced to mostly books and films, and the generation that saw it has left us. In this way they still speak, and to hear them all I needed to do was follow the Archive鈥檚 handling protocol and gently coax 80-year-old paper. In the WWII Collection鈥檚 artwork of R.W. Hill (obscure; he was at least a military serviceman) you can see the pressure of the pencil in his political cartoons, plane sketches, and figures (presumably of friends). His drawings show his personal priorities: that of victory, service, and home. I enclose the drawing, 鈥淭he Miner鈥檚 Dream of Home鈥� to support that assumption, which shows a reclined soldier pining for his girlfriend. I can only imagine Mr. Hill identifying himself with his sketched figure whilst stationed abroad. Occurrences of Oscar H. Shaftel exceed his collection in the Archives. He is called both a 鈥楧octor鈥� and 鈥楥orporal鈥� in The Crown Newspaper and both 鈥楽oldier鈥� and 鈥楶rivate鈥� in his letters. A person by the name of Emmanuel Peabody Halpern (鈥業O鈥�) called him 鈥淥skie鈥�. I was able to find quotes from Dr. Shaftel within the newspaper, keeping me from speaking of him apophatically, which was something I was afraid of due to a lack of his own writing in his collection. An article titled 鈥淩evenge as War Aim Not Adequate, Corp. Shaftel Says鈥� records him imploring the student body to seek not revenge but rather intellectual and communal preservation. A digital clipping of this attestation is included in this post.

Miner’s Dream of Home

The most touching of the 鈥淚n Their Shoes鈥� Oral History entries, which collates the written testimony of the Asian American community during the war, is the transcript of Larry Kern. He details how his American father and Japanese mother met, fell in love, and surmounted obstacles that tried to counter that love. The most captivating fact is the assertion that Mr. Kern鈥檚 father successfully petitioned Eleanor Roosevelt and, consequently, members of Congress into passing the McCarran-Walters Act, legalizing their union.

In combining every account, there is a consistent plea for persistence amid strife and a calling for rationalism over emotionalism. Like our predecessors, we may be greatly scandalized by the many geopolitical issues that have captured our campus, but we cannot forget the fellowship in being 黑料专区 students.

By: Annie Tummino, Head of Special Collections & Archives, and Olivia Zisman, Project Archivist

黑料专区 Special Collections and Archives (SCA) is thrilled to announce that the are now open for research. Rosenthal, who transferred her papers to 黑料专区 in phases between 2021-2025, is an avant-garde interdisciplinary artist, writer, and performer. She explores existential themes through her multimedia artworks, which often take the form of photography, video, text, and performance. Rosenthal attended graduate school at 黑料专区 in the 1970s, receiving her MFA in painting in 1975.

The collection documents Rosenthal鈥檚 personal and professional life, spanning from the early 1940s through 2025. It consists of materials related to her career as an artist, and professional activities related to her studio practice and business endeavors, as well as her career as an educator (largely in higher education in New York). It also contains Rosenthal鈥檚 journals, family heirlooms, student papers, correspondence, and ephemera.

Thanks to Rosenthal鈥檚 multi-hyphenate career encompassing many forms of art and literary production, and her penchant for accumulating and saving object of special meaning, it is one of the most in-depth and eclectic collections stewarded by SCA. Comprised of 137 linear feet of boxed material, plus additional textiles and oversized items, the collection provides insight into the art making process from inspiration through exhibition, review, and revision, and documents the relationship between art and artist. It is SCA鈥檚 premier collection of papers from an alumni visual artist.

The collection is rich in possibility for scholarship, teaching, and creativity. Just to name a few examples, one can peruse 90 numbered volumes of Rosenthal鈥檚 journals starting at the age of 11; explore multiple drafts and editions of her artists鈥� books; review exhibition posters and business records; or examine 鈥渟acred objects鈥� derived from Rosenthal鈥檚 life. Depending on the box, one might find a sabretooth tiger tusk, a silk baby pillowcase, or a handmade beaded G-string, a bundle of letters, or doodles on scrap paper. The archive is a delight for the mind and the senses, unspooling the layers of the artist鈥檚 life and work.

Portions of the Rosenthal collection were first preserved, arranged, and described by students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies class LBSCI 790.3: Advanced Archival Practicum during the Summer 2022 semester, instructed by Caitlin Waldron. In September 2025, thanks to generous funding from the Mellon Foundation, SCA hired Project Archivist Olivia Zisman to complete the project. Zisman processed accruals and created a holistic arrangement that encompassed all collection elements (see the for details).

To make an appointment to view the Rosenthal collection or arrange a class visit, please email qc.archives@qc.cuny.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!

By: Elena Butuzova, Arts, Design, and Media Studies Adjunct Librarian

Learn about the Medieval Folklore: Bestiaries and Monsters book display on the 6th floor of the Rosenthal Library!

Mermaids, unicorns, lions, cats, griffins, and other types of creatures adorned the books of the Middle Ages鈥攐ften depicted within the ornamentation of letters or between the paragraphs of a book. The book display focuses on the medieval animal illustrations and attempts to expand the folklore of these creatures beyond the bestiary. The book of beasts (known as the bestiary) focused on animal images within the writing of a manuscript in order to highlight an allegorical message about the world, as well as to attribute physical characteristics to an animal that people in Europe may have not seen before (such as lions). Imaginative animals, such as the dragon, were a common motif in bestiaries; however, it is not clear if the medieval world truly believed in the existence of these creatures. Whether it was an exploration of the human imagination, the belief in a fantastical world, or a symbolic representation of the unknown, the bestiary exemplified the colorful and slightly peculiar qualities of medieval folklore.

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List of Books

• Bovey, Alixe. . University of Toronto Press, 2002. (ND3339.5 .B68 2002)
• Clark, Willene B, and Meradith T McMunn. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989. (PA8275.B4 Z55 1989)
• Phillpotts, Beatrice. . 1st Ballantine books ed. Ballantine Books, 1980. (GR910 .P44 1980)
• Gibson, Walter S. . Praeger Publishers, 1973. (ND653 .B65 G52)
• Strickland, Debra Higgs. . Cambridge University Press, 1995. (PR275 .B47 H37 1995)
• Clark, Willene B. . Boydell, 2006. (PA8275 .B4 C53 2006)
• Benton, Janetta Rebold. . Abbeville Press, 1992. (N7660 .B38 1992)
• Cambridge University Library., and T. H White. . Capricorn books edition. G. P. Putnam鈥檚 Sons, 1961. (B4 E5 1960)
• Clark, Kenneth. . W. Morrow, 1977. (N7660 .C55)
• Zamperini, Alessandra. . Thames & Hudson, 2008. (ND2755 .Z3513 2008)
• Link, Luther. . Harry N. Abrams, 1995. (N8140 .L56 1995)
• Benton, Janetta Rebold, and Katonah Museum of Art. . Katonah Museum of Art, 1994. (N5975 .B467 1994)
• Muchembled, Robert. . Seuil/Chronicle, 2004. (NX652 .D48 M8313 2004)
• Zuffi, Stefano. . Abrams, 2007. (ND1380 .Z84 2007)
• Borst, Arno. . University of Chicago Press, 1992. (CB351 .B5913 1992)
• Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Peter Barnet, and Pete Dandridge. . Yale University Press, 2006. (NK8427 .B37 2006)
• Freeman, Margaret B. . Metropolitan Museum of Art鈥�: distributed by Dutton, 1976. (NK3049 .U5 N43 1976)
• Amor, Anne Clark. . Taplinger Pub. Co., 1975. (QL791 .C565 1975)
• Yapp, W. B. . Schocken Books, 1983. (ND3339 .Y36 1982)
• British Museum., and Frances Carey. . British Museum Press, 1999. (5 .A63 1999)
• Morris, Jan. . Thames and Hudson, 1982. (N7660 .M67 1982)
• Lehner, Ernst, and Johanna Lehner. . Dover Publications, 1971. (N8140 .L35)
• Princeton University. Department of Art and Archaeology. Index of Christian Art., and Colum Hourihane. . Edited by Colum Hourihane. Index of Christian Art, Dept. of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University in association with Princeton University Press, 2000. (N8012 .V57 V57 2000)

This spring, Professor Lee Norton brought his three English 110 classes to the library to visit Special Collections and Archives (SCA). As Norton explains in his syllabus, the theme of the course is to 鈥渋nvestigate the manifold workings of collective memory: the places, practices, and stories that bind groups together through shared understandings of common past and present purpose.鈥� Given this mission, a visit to a real-world archive is a key part of the curriculum, complementing readings and discussions that focus on sites of memory.

During the class sessions, the instructors (Archivists Annie Tummino and Olivia Zisman) used lecture, , and discussion to introduce students to archival concepts and questions, including:

• What do archivists do?
• What ends up in an archive? Who decides?
• What is missing?
• What stories do archives tell?
• How do archives shape history?

Next, we introduced students to the , a diverse collection of photographic prints (25 boxes) produced by the 黑料专区 publicity office from the founding of the college in 1937 to the early 2000s. 聽These images were used in brochures, course bulletins, leaflets, and other advertisements during a time when most marketing occurred in print. Many items contain visible evidence of their past function and use, such as handwritten captions, marginalia, and cropping instructions.

Hands on Activity

For the hands-on activity, we divided students into teams of 3-4 people and provided a single folder from the Creative Services Collection to examine in detail. Donning cotton gloves, the students carefully browsed the contents of their folder, typically comprised of 25-50 photographs, with subjects ranging from athletics to student protests to hanging on the quad. We asked students to hone their powers of observation. What activities did they see in the pictures? What clothes were people wearing? Could they identify the location of the picture? What could they infer about student life from the images?

Next, we asked the students to move from observation to curation. Each team was tasked with selecting a set of 4-8 images chronicling campus life, keeping in mind questions introduced earlier: Who is represented? Why? What narrative is conveyed? This allowed the students to exercise their creative muscles and curate their own stories. During the last part of class, students shared their selections with their classmates, leading to a lively show and tell. Overall, the archive visit and activity fit seamlessly in Norton鈥檚 syllabus, serving as a warm-up for the students鈥� next big English 110 assignment: creating a virtual exhibition, including writing introductory text and wall panels.

Students share their findings during class in the Tanenbaum Room

The creativity displayed by the students in class was impressive, deserving public access. Therefore, archives staff agreed to scan the images for posting. We are happy to announce that the image sets are now in the process of being shared ! 聽Please follow our account to check out the students鈥� work and for more updates from SCA. If you would like to peruse more photographs documenting QC history, check out the 鈥淟ife at 黑料专区鈥� .

By: Leila Walker, Assistant Professor Humanities & Digital Scholarship Librarian

A faculty development workshop about teaching with open pedagogy.

Facilitation and planning team: Leila Walker (Library), Eric Silberberg (Library), and Annie Tummino (Library)

This three-day, hybrid workshop invites QC faculty to redesign a course syllabus using free and open materials. CUNY students routinely report going into debt, foregoing necessities, or delaying academic progress due to the high cost of textbooks. Through a combination of hands-on skills workshops, interdisciplinary panels, and reflective practice in a supportive environment, participants in this fellowship will develop open pedagogical practices that engage students in the creation of knowledge and reduce economic barriers to academic success. By the end of the Fellowship, participants should have the outline of an openly licensed syllabus ready to run for the 2026-2027 academic year.

For examples of syllabi and other course materials developed through the OER Initiative at 黑料专区, see our repository on .

Schedule

• Dates: In person June 8 and 9, with a 90-minute follow up over Zoom on June 12
• Time: 10am-1:30pm June 8 and 9, 10am-11:30am June 12
• Location: 黑料专区 campus (June 8 and 9) and Zoom (June 12)

This workshop will support faculty to:

• Learn how to apply the principles of open pedagogy in assignments and syllabi to disrupt the 鈥渂anking model of education鈥� and encourage student engagement
• Learn the basics of open educational resources, copyright and Creative Commons, and accessibility
• Find, adapt, and use open educational resources and zero-textbook-cost materials
• Enact social justice by lowering financial barriers to student success
• Build community with colleagues across the college

Faculty participants will commit to:

• Attend the workshop in-person on June 8 and 9
• Attend a follow-up meeting over Zoom on June 12
• Review workshop materials (e.g. readings, videos) as assigned
• Develop an openly licensed syllabus using zero-textbook-cost materials and upload a copy to CUNY Academic Works by August 1, 2026
• Share a brief reflection with the Library by August 1, 2026

Faculty that fulfill the above commitments will receive a $2000 stipend and a certificate of completion.

Who should apply?

• This workshop is open to all faculty members, both full-time and contingent, at 黑料专区.
• No expertise or previous training is necessary, and all disciplines are welcome.
• We especially encourage faculty to discuss with their departments how the materials generated through this Fellowship might be used across multiple sections.

Applications due Wednesday, April 15, 11:59 p.m.

By: Alex Crowley, Adjunct Visual & Performing Arts, Music Librarian

The QC Music Library would like to announce the return of the BOOK SALE to the Aaron Copland School of Music (ACSM). Items for sale will include Books, Scores, LPs, and CDs. The sale is CASH ONLY.

• Location: ACSM Atrium
• Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
• Time: 10am – 4pm

Please contact the Music Library if you have any questions about the event: musiclibrary@qc.cuny.edu.

See you then!聽

By: Amerigo Cleffi and Kit Moszynski, Graduate Students, 黑料专区 School of Information Studies

An exhibition celebrating the bookplate is currently on display in the Rosenthal Library鈥檚 Barham Rotunda. Bookplates, also known as ex libris (Latin: 鈥渇rom the library of鈥�), are slips affixed inside books to denote ownership. With origins in 15th century Europe, bookplates were, and are today, specially commissioned by book owners to reflect their tastes, interests, and identity.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions was co-curated by Myra Rodriguez Campolo, Skye Chilberg, Amerigo Cleffi, Karin Fjellman, James Lowry, Natalia Maliga, Kit Moszynski, Karen Timko, and Nande Walters, and grew out of Dr. James Lowry鈥檚 spring 2025 Curatorial Studies course in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (now the School of Information Studies).

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions exhibit.

The exhibition presents an overview of the history and artistry of bookplates. A case on imagery showcases common themes in the collection, such as skulls and Ancient Egyptian motifs. An overview of bookplate production is provided, touching on commonly used printing techniques such as intaglio, relief, and screenprinting, alongside examples of bookplates made with those techniques. The exhibition concludes with a look at bookplate collecting and scholarship, including books about bookplates and journals from bookplate societies.

The bookplates that make up the core of the exhibit came from the collection of Dr. Lowry, and students Nande Walters and Kit Moszynski also provided materials from their personal collections. During the semester, the class worked together to categorize the bookplates, noting common imagery and information on date, technique, and provenance when available. Alongside the bookplates, we incorporated additional materials to supplement the text and create more varied visual interest. This included books that highlight bookplate history and scholarship, including titles from the Rosenthal Library, as well as handmade and custom bookplates.

Our efforts were greatly aided by class participant Natalia Maliga, a book conservator with a background in printmaking and exhibitions. The design of each case was conceptualized as a group, and involved a good deal of physically trying different layouts to see what felt right.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions aims to stimulate interest in bookplates among viewers with little-to-no familiarity with bookplates, while providing compelling material for current appreciators of the craft.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions will be on view in the Barham Rotunda through Spring 2026.

By: Michelle Thomas, Adjunct Life Science Librarian

Learning about the world through stories, pictures, and real-world connections is a powerful way to capture attention and promote learning. 黑料专区 Library invites you to stop by and explore our newest 3rd floor display, 鈥淥ur Amazing Ecosystems鈥�.

The goal of this display is to spark curiosity through a selection of interesting and artistic books while also engaging readers in learning and understanding how plants, animals, and environments interact to create and maintain their ecosystems. From the tiniest insect in Insect-o-rama to the tallest tree in The Gift of the Tree, everything plays a role.

Amazing Ecosystems Library Book Display (3rd floor)

The display is thoughtfully arranged to showcase various ecosystems (safari, marine, grasslands) and elements (plants, animals, weather) allowing readers to 鈥渢ravel鈥� from one environment to another by moving along the display. Visually rich non-fiction selections like, Perfectly Peculiar Plants and Secrets of the Sea introduce rare and unique species, while titles like Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution provide factual and striking imagery. Adventure-based science storytelling is also included in titles like, Planting the Wild Garden and What鈥檚 for Dinner?, which bridges imagination with scientific exploration.

To encourage deeper engagement, the display incorporates guiding questions:

• What happens when one species disappears?
  • See: Extinctopedia or Don鈥檛 Squish a Slug
• How do plants and animals depend on each other?
  • See: All the Water in the World or The Reason for a Flower
• Why do certain organisms thrive in specific climates?
  • See: Change is in the Air or Wiggling Worms at Work

Our 3rd floor display has something for everyone! Interesting facts, intriguing art, and fascinating discoveries. It is designed to teach in a way that feels visually inviting and intellectually engaging for learners while still resonating with the broader academic community. This display is an invitation to explore, learn, and appreciate the amazing ecosystems in the world we live in, we hope you enjoy!

See Our Amazing Ecosystem 3rd Floor Display information (PDF)