Some people like to collect old cars, dolls or even watches. Northern Illinois University has a collection that most people may be surprised to learn about.
NIU has a rare book collection and has presented “History of the Book” seminars about certain ones for almost four years.
Beth McGowan, the librarian and an assistant associate professor at NIU libraries, said there will be two presenters for the upcoming seminar.
“The first presenter is Stan Arnold,' she said, "and he's writing he'll give a talk about ‘Bronze Dianas,’ which is actually about African American Olympians.”
The full name of the publication is “Bronze Dianas: African American Female Olympians and the Struggle for Identity, 1932-1948.”
McGowan said the seminars have expanded from what they were years ago.
“Each one of these seminars has a more than one discipline, speaking at a time,” she said. “But the other thing that's expanded is really our approach to the history of the book, and part of that change is the introduction of the book lab.”
The book lab is a space where some NIU English students learn how to create books like people did centuries ago.
The next seminar is called "American Bodies, American Minds, Resilience and Recognition in Women’s Sports." It takes place on Mar. 5 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the library.
