FEBRUARY 2024
der zamler
JPL’S NEWSLETTER FOR ALL THINGS
ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
BUSIER THAN EVER
This winter is full of volunteers and student interns working in the archives and special collections, and the energy is inspiring. One is working on cataloguing a recent acquisition of miniature books, another is translating labels on Yiddish fonds, and yet another is working through the treasure trove/Pandora’s box that is the graphics collection. It’s nice to have so much happening!
To mark McGill University’s Holocaust Remembrance Week, Eddie Paul was invited to present about the Offenbach Archival Depot, and the missing provenance information for many of the rare books in our collection. A video of his presentation can be found below. He also managed the acquisition of a new (to us) rare book, which we will be sharing more about in March.
Processing archivist Kate Moore has moved to New York City to work in post-custodial archives, and while we are sad to see her go, we are so excited for her in her next adventures. Kate was able to process over 30 fonds in less than two years—an incredible accomplishment that we are both proud of and grateful for.
UPCOMING EVENT
THOU HAST NEED OF THEM:
HISTORICAL MINORITIES IN THE FACULTY OF MEDICINE
A medically-themed archival workshop featuring materials from McGill University and the Jewish Public Library and Archives
Join the Osler Library of the History of Medicine, Maude Abbott Medical Museum, and the Jewish Public Library and Archives to discuss the fascinating holdings related to three medical graduates from McGill University, each of whom prevailed over the systemic barriers they faced in pursuing their medical careers. Each institution will give a brief presentation about their graduate, followed by the opportunity to interact with items from their material history.
Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 2PM EST
Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building, Anatomy Reading Room [221-224], 3640 rue University, Montreal, QC
Open to all | In-Person | RSVP required
NEW RECORDING AVAILABLE
PROVENANCE & THE ORPHANS OF OFFENBACH
A rare books presentation with the texts and contexts of Judaica collections at McGill Univerity Library and the Jewish Public Library.
FOR THE RECORD:
A BLOG ABOUT THE WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHERE, AND HOW (OF ARCHIVING)
how do we choose an exhibition topic?
Our Education Outreach Coordinator answers a patron question about our online and on-site exhibitions of archival and special collections materials.
CURRENT IN-HOUSE EXHIBITION
CENSORSHIP IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
November 24, 2023 - March 10, 2024
Censorship of books is as old as books themselves. This exhibition highlights a handful of instances of censorship that appear in the rare books of our Special Collections. On view in the lobby of the Jewish Public Library through March 2024, and more information about each volume found on JPL Curates.
CURRENT IN-HOUSE EXHIBITION
THE LILLY TOTH COLLECTION
An exhibition highlighting our largest, smallest collection, on view in the lobby of the Jewish Public Library. More information available about the collector and her amazing collection on JPL Curates.
NEW ONLINE EXHIBITION
A GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN
PART II : THE POSTWAR YEARS
As in Part I: The interwar years, Part II of A Gift for the Children discusses the space that Yiddish children's literature provided for many great artists and writers of the 20th century to experiment, hone their craft, and find their voice, and this chapter dives even further into how they actively introduced Jewish art and storytelling to the proverbial table of world cultures.
want more?
Do you want to know more about what is going on with the JPL’s Archives and Special Collections? Check out our highlights on JPL Curates.
Der zamler is a Yiddish term meaning “the collector” and is related to the verb zamlen, which means “to gather.” In using this name, we join a long history of people dedicated to gathering and preserving Jewish culture around the world. A heartfelt thank-you goes to Sam Bick for the initial idea and to Anna Fishman Gonshor for providing the cultural context.
All non-archival photography, unless otherwise credited, by staff of the JPL Archives.
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Jewish Public Library
5151 Chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine
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Canada