Newsletter May 2011 - The European Library

	EDITORIAL - May 2011 This month, we're celebrating the spirit of travel and exploration with the launch of our new Travelling Through History exhibition. Journey to the North Pole, book your ticket on a 1930s car trip through Eastern Europe or flip through hundreds of historic postcards, maps and guidebooks. There are over 500 items to explore. More info...
	IN FOCUS - Travelling Through History' Bohemia, Rose of all Centuries, Covered with Blood - This rose-shaped map is a beautiful depiction of 17th century Bohemia. It shows the rose growing from Vienna (the centre of the Habsburg Empire at that time) and spreading its petals to encompass much of the modern-day Czech Republic. The map is topped with a crown and the motto of Austrian emperor Leopold I: Iustitia et pietate (justice and piety). More info...
	Theuerdank - This elaborate book gives an allegorical description of an adventurous trip made by the German emperor, Maximilian I. It is the story of his journey, written in verse, and a romantic tale because Maximilian I was travelling to woo his future wife, Mary of Burgundy. The resulting book is considered to be one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the 16th century. More info...
	Car Tour By Sir Arthur Evans - Archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1941) travelled extensively, starting in the 1870s when he explored Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Evans later became famous for his archaeological excavations of Knossos Palace in Crete in 1899-1907. The photos in this leather-bound photo album record a tour by car of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina taken by Evans in 1932. More info...
	Semang Kensiu - The Semang are an ethnic group of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia. They traditionally lived mainly in the tropical rain forests of the mountains as hunter-gatherers. This impressive photograph of a group of Semang Kensiu men and boys was taken by Paul Schebesta in 1924. At this time, the Semang lived a nomadic life, attached great importance to their freedom of movement and disapproved of being settled. More info...
	Albuminscriptie van Renius a Deipholt uit Oost-Friesland - This is an image from the album of the physician Bernardus Paludanus (1550-1633). It was created by Remus von Diepholt, a member of the East Frisian nobility, and shows a Paduan noblewoman alongside von Diepholt's coat of arms. On 10 August 1576 he pointed out to Paludanus the relativity of life: "Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus / Et certam praesens vix habet hora fidem." In other words, "Heaven makes sport of human affairs, and the present hour gives no sure promise of the next."More info...
	IN BRIEF - New Content For The European Library 5 Million New Items The European Library already gives you access to the resources of Europe's 48 national libraries, and soon our collection will expand to include 5 million objects from prestigious European research libraries such as Oxford's Bodleian Library, University Lund and the Library of the Hungarian Parliament (pictured). More info...
	The Birth of Iskandar This ornate horoscope shows the position of the heavens at the moment Prince Iskandar, grandson of the Turkman Mongol conqueror Tamerlane, was born on April 25, 1384. It is part of the Wellcome Library collection. More info...
	Plan of San Marco in Venice - This is a plan of Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice, with sketches concerning the dating of the mosaics. It was created by Otto Demus, an Austrian art historian who helped to restore and document the mosaics of Saint Mark's Basilica. More info...
	Queen Marie of Romania - Queen Marie of Romania was born in England in 1875 and married the heir to the Romanian throne, Prince Ferdinand, in 1893. This image was taken in 1907, seven years before she and her husband became King and Queen of Romania. More info...

Popular Searches On The European Library Website: - May 2011:

1. Tornike Estavi - A book from our Reading Europe exhibition about this famous retired Georgian general and monk has recently been a very popular search on The European Library website.

2. Urbino Bible - This magnificent manuscript is held in the Vatican Library. You can read more about it on the Treasures page for the papal library.

3. Codex Gigas - One of the treasures of the Swedish National Library is the Codex Gigas or Devil's Bible; so named because it contains a large, full-page portrait of the devil.

Video Corner

This video features "Travelling Through History". View the exhibition highlights in two minutes.

Our Tip

Install The European Library Google Gadget on your iGoogle page, to easily explore the Reading Europe exhibition.

Japanese Libraries

Libraries in Japan have been struggling to recover from the damaged caused by March's devastating earthquake.

Buildings and books were damaged, and libraries have suffered electricity cuts. Many libraries, including the National Diet Library in Tokyo, have been forced to cut back their services or close altogether.

The full scope of the damage is not yet clear, but recent articles in the American Libraries Magazine and Library Journal describe some of the many problems that Japanese libraries are facing. IFLA is also maintaining a list of resources that show how libraries are coping.

credits

This newsletter was put together by Friedel Grant and Aubéry Escande of the European Library Office. It includes images and curatorial information from the Moravian Library in Brno (Bohemian Rose), National Library of Poland (Theuerdank), University College London (Car Tour by Sir Arthur Evans), Austrian National Library (Semang Kensiu), Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Albuminscriptie van Renius a Deipholt), Wellcome Library (Birth of Iskandar), University of Vienna (Plan of San Marco in Venice) and Romanian Academy Library (Queen Marie of Romania).