This week we are highlighting the vertical file collection.
Vertical files are files, traditionally housed in filing cabinets, that contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and brochures, that you wouldn’t necessarily find in the library. These files are maintained by Special Collections staff and can provide valuable information for users doing research.
This week we are taking a look at some of the customs that are adhered to in South Louisiana for All Saints day.
For many in south Louisiana, All Saints and All Souls days are a time to remember those who have gone before them. For some, this includes performing work at cemeteries and graveyards. All Saints Day, also known as La Toussaint, is similar to the Mexican traditions for Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos.
This week, we are looking at another collections reflecting Louisiana’s LGBTQ+ community.
Today we are celebrating our state bird, the brown pelican, who also appears on our flag.
It was Oct. 13, 1970, when the brown pelican was placed on the Endangered Species List. It was determined that widespread pesticide contamination was the culprit. Like many large birds, DDT buildup in the bodies of the birds led to thin-shelled eggs that were easily broken during incubation. Once DDT was banned, the birds began to see an increase in numbers and was removed from the Endangered Species List on Nov. 11, 2009.
More information about the brown pelican can be found in:
Today we are spotlighting newly acquired collections reflecting Louisiana's LGBTQ+ community.
This is thanks in part to a grant from the American Library Association's American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries and funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Today we are celebrating National Cookbook Month!
Did you know there are hundreds of cookbooks here in Special Collections? A selection of cookbooks on display in the Jefferson Caffery Reading Room and the 1st floor stairwell. These books show just a small selection of Cajun, Creole, and other Louisiana specific recipes.
Today we are highlighting the Cajun and Creole Music Collection.
The Cajun & Creole Music Collection consists of over 9,000 commercial recordings, selected non-commercial recordings, and other music-related research materials.
Formats include both analog and digital media: 78rpm, 45rpm, and LP (33 ⅓) records, 8-track tapes, audio-cassette tapes, CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs. The expanding collection also contains books, periodicals, photographs, artifacts, manuscripts and other archival materials.
Today we are gearing up for Homecoming, which is just 2 weeks away!
Special Collections has a new display up celebrating UL Lafayette football through the years. Included are an SLI pennant, a USL football helmet, USL flags, posters, and a variety of other memorabilia, spanning football from SLII, SLI, USL, and UL Lafayette. This display can be found in the entrance to the library on the 1st floor.
This week, we are taking a look at Collection 45, the Jefferson Caffery Collection.
Caffery was a member of the first class enrolled in Southwestern Industrial Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1902, and graduated from Tulane University in 1906. He read law with his father for three years and was admitted to the bar, but chose to pursue a career as a diplomat instead.
Today we will be talking about the anniversary of the Battle of Queue de Tortue.
Today in 1859, disputes between outlaws and vigilantes came to a head in the Battle of Queue de Tortue. This battle was the result of rising tensions between the Acadians and their “American” neighbors. The “Americans” formed a vigilante committee which grew to several hundred strong. They took 24 prisoners and gave the leaders a hundred lashes of the whip at the border between Lafayette and St. Landry parishes. In 1986, the movie Belizare the Cajun was released which chronicles this battle.
