David Rumsey Map Center and Special Collections Visits

On Monday, the David Rumsey Map Center hosted our interns for a special session. There, cartographic technology specialist Deardra Fuzzell framed the center’s collection as a “combination of science, sociology, rhetoric, and art.” Library staff highlighted some of the amazing technology of the space as well as beautiful maps in their collection. CESTA intern Maya will be looking at some of the historical maps in the collection to inform her Imagined San Francisco project.

 

     


And on Tuesday, John Mustain from Stanford Special Collections hosted CESTA for a display of rare manuscripts and books, such as Dante Alighieri’s Lo Paradiso and a collection of miniature books from 1863. While browsing, our interns identified the item that enticed them the most. Benjamin Franklin’s Observations on Electricity and Other Natural Phenomena was a popular choice; CESTA intern Liz noted “that his personality jumped off the page.”


           
 

Following our special visits, students will participate in a series of workshops that will bring together the traditional and the digital. These technical workshops include topics such as spatial analysis, textual analysis, data visualization, and more.