Ex Libris: Gilbert Sims Derr

Second in a series highlighting the book collectors whose subject expertise, passion, and resources have contributed to DePaul’s Special Collections

Starting in the 1960s, DePaul Professor and Alumnus Gilbert Sims Derr strove to inspire mutual understanding between African-Americans and whites by providing resources for African-American studies at DePaul.  In his words, “When the whites get a better idea of what the blacks have contributed to our mutual culture, many of the problems of race relations will be eased.”

Gilbert Sims Derr (1917-1989) grew up in Durham, North Carolina. He completed his undergraduate work at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia in 1939 and received a Masters Degree from DePaul University in 1948.  While researching his thesis on interracial education, he discovered that DePaul University’s library lacked materials on African Americans.  He vowed to provide these materials by creating a research center for African-American studies at DePaul.  Then, while teaching part time at DePaul in the School of Education and serving as a human relations coordinator in the Chicago public school system, Derr contributed his DePaul salary to the Verona Williams Derr Fund.  The money from this fund went towards a scholarship fund, lecture series and the Verona Williams Derr Collection (named for Derr's wife) now housed in DePaul University’s Special Collections and Archives. 

The Collection contains books relating to African-American culture, Negro Life and History, Black-White Experience, and the Area of Black Studies. The publication dates for the books range from the 1790’s through to the 1960’s.  Professor Derr collected books that presented both sides of the race issue.  The collection contains pro-slavery book titles such as An Enquiry Concerning the Intellectual and Moral Faculties, and Literature of Negroes, 1810 by H. Gregoire and Cotton is King, and Pro-Slavery Arguments; Comprising the Writings of Hammond, Harper, Christy, Stringfellow, Hodge, Bledsoe, and Cartwright, 1860.  On the other side, the collection also includes anti-slavery publications such as Lydia Maria Francis Child’s 1833 An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans and texts by Abolitionists and African American authors such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Check out some selections from the Derr Collection on exhibit on the third floor of the library through February 28, 2009.

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Many book collectors paste bookplates inside the front covers of their books and the Latin words ex libris, meaning “from the library of,” were often used.

Launched a little over a year ago, Flickr Commons is a remarkable project in which a number of cultural institutions from around the globe contribute photostreams to Flickr. It was begun by the Library of Congress, but now includes the Smithsonian Institution, the George Eastman House, the Brooklyn Museum as well as other libraries and museums from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.

In an effort to promote it, Anna Graf launched a Flickr Commons group. Members can access images from the commons, tag them, share them with other Flickr members and create photo sets.

And now, a new blog called Indicommons has been launched to further enhance the sharing of images on Flickr Commons.

The Online Library Workshops for WRD 104, SNL Lifelong Learning 250 (LL250) and SNL 725 are available.  From the library's home page, click on "Online Instruction & Workshops", then "Begin a Workshop." Let us know if you have questions through Ask-A-Librarian or by calling one of our reference desks.

The university invites you to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday at the annual Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast.  To register for the event, click here. 

Want to learn more about Dr. King?  Make sure to check out our African-American Studies History Guide for a list of African-American history resources including links to historical black newspapers, African-American history encyclopedias and online databases dedicated to African-American history.    

Come in and celebrate Dr. King's birthday with us; the library will be open normal hours (8am-12am) on Monday January 18.

  *Associated Press. "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Addresses a Crowd in New York City on April 15, 1967."

Want to bring your laptop into the library but not sure how to get a wireless connection?  Visit http://wireless.depaul.edu/ to get instructions on downloading the DePaul wireless network then use it in any of the campus buildings including the library.  Once you're on the university's wireless page, choose your operating system and follow the step-by-step instructions.  If you don't know what your operating system is, right-click on your "my computer" icon and choose properties. If you're still having trouble call the Help Desk at 312.362.8765 or visit the Genius Squad.  The winter '09 hours for the Genius Squad are:

Lincoln Park Campus: SAC 235 (Schmidt Academic Center)

Mon, Wed: 3:30pm to 5:00pm

Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9:30am-5pm

Loop Campus: Lewis Center 1420

Mon: 9am-1pm then 3pm-5pm

Tues: 9am-5pm

Wed: 9am-1pm then 3pm-5pm

Fri:  9am-5pm

Happy computing!

Broken links are so annoying. Suppose you email a link to a Time magazine feature, "50 Best Websites 2008." The original URL (web address) looks like this:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,1809858,00.html

Because the address is a little long, your friend may get a broken, unusable link instead:

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/0,28757,
1809858,00.html

Thanks to TinyURL^TM, broken links can be banned forever! TinyURL is a free, web-based tool that allows you to create permanent "tiny" URLs for your link. The new URLs redirect the viewer to the original web page. The basic TinyURL for the article looks like this:

http://tinyurl.com/5jgc8o

You can also create a custom name for your new link, or give your recipients a preview of the original link, just so they know it isn't a virus or spam. Since spammers often use aliases for their websites, you should always exercise caution if you get an email with a TinyURL--or any link, for that matter. Because of this type of abuse, some social networking websites have restricted the posting of TinyURLs. Before you click a link within an email, make sure it is from someone you know for a legitimate reason and doesn't sound too generic.

TinyURL.com is definitely one of the coolest tools for helping you share your online discoveries. And, it's one of Time's "50 Best Websites 2008."

TinyURL.com

Welcome back and happy new year!  At the start of every quarter, we find that students have many questions.  To help with the confusion that oftens accompanies the beginning of new courses, we've put together answers to some of the most frequently asked questions the library gets at the start of classes.

Does the library have my textbook?

The library does not typically carry textbooks.  Click here to find out why and what you can do to cut down on textbook costs.

How do I find out what books are required for my class?

The DePaul bookstore has an online list of books available for classes.   Choose winter quarter, department, course, section, etc to see what books are required. 

What do I do if I lost my i.d. over break? 

You can get a new i.d. at the ID Services Offices.  The replacement fee for lost/stolen cards is $15.00 for students

Can I find out if the library computer labs have open seats before going over there?

Yes, it's easy.  The university has a webpage that shows computer availability in the computer labs.  Click here then select the campus of your choice.  Choose a lab and click on "check availability."

Where are my course reserves?

There is a link to course reserves off the library's homepage.  Your instructor should provide you with the password to access e-reserves.

We hope this helps.  If you have more questions, feel free to contact us in person, via email or through IM using our Ask-A-Librarian service.