John J. Burns Library Blog

  • Black Literature as American History: The Works of Phillis Wheatley, Countee Cullen, and Richard Wright

    Black History Month has been celebrated during the month of February since its precursor—Carter G. Woodson’s Negro History Week—was first observed in 1926. Black History Month provides an opportunity to commemorate the various contributions of black Americans to the history and culture of the United States, but this tribute should extend throughout the calendar year… Read More

  • Discovery of Witches: Materials on Witchcraft at the Burns Library

    In pre-1750 Europe, witch hunts were formal, structured legal ordeals. Countless women were put on trial and burned for supposed witchcraft, leading one to wonder what would cause such a phenomenon to occur. Evidence what may have sparked these witch hunts can be traced through careful examination of some books in the Burns Library’s collections. Read More

  • Exhibitions Update: Commitment to Craftsmanship

      A new Burns Library exhibit, Commitment to Craftsmanship:  Conservation Bookbindings by Mark Esser, is now on display through January 16, 2015.   This exhibit is designed to introduce Boston College students to bookbinding and book conservation, explores the training Mark received, his background as a teacher at the North Bennet Street School (NBSS), and showcases… Read More