Cover to Cover Archives - Queens College Library

Helen Marshall Papers Open for Research

By Gianna Fraccalvieri, Project Archivist

As a current student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, working in the Queens College Library to process the Helen Marshall Papers over the past 5 months has been an invaluable learning experience for which I am incredibly grateful. Helen Marie Marshall (1929–2017) was an American politician and community organizer who served in the various elected positions of New York State Assemblymember, New York City Councilmember, and Queens Borough President between the 1980s and mid-2010s.

This collection has proven to be robust in scope and diverse in content, covering a wide range of historical events, social issues, and political eras throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. While the magnitude of this project posed practical challenges of adequately preserving, arranging, and describing the records, its vastness also provided amazing opportunities to view these archival traces of Marshall’s life and legacy from a variety of angles.

I am honored to share the completed finding aid for the Helen Marshall Papers with the Queens College community and beyond. The collection can be accessed by emailing Special Collections and Archives at QC.archives@qc.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. You can also learn more about the collection by registering for the “Virtual Show and Tell” taking place online on September 19 from 4-5pm.

Composed of 35.75 linear feet of records produced between the 1920s and 2014, the Helen Marshall Papers document Marshall’s role as a community activist and elected official in New York City and State politics. The collection includes correspondence, project files, subject files, certificates, campaign ephemera, photographs, and audiovisual reels. Additionally, the Helen Marshall Papers include personal materials that chronicle the immigration story of Marshall’s Guyanese family. Overall, this collection reflects Marshall’s principal concerns of racial justice, women’s rights, public libraries and parks, health care, and senior citizens.

Helen Marshall’s mother’s British Guiana passport

Amid the ongoing social injustice of municipal budget cuts to libraries and universities, Marshall’s legacy of activism in defense of institutions that provide public access to information and education inspires hope and resilience for the present-day struggle. As a co-founder and first director of the Langston Hughes Library in 1969 prior to her political career, Marshall was a strong advocate for public libraries throughout her life. This collection contains project files, correspondence, and photographs related to Marshall’s role in securing more funding for public libraries to enhance access to community resources in Queens and New York City at large. Similarly, this collection reflects Marshall’s career-long crusade to increase funding, equity, and inclusion among CUNY institutions. Marshall’s background as a public school teacher and Queens College alumna with a B.A. in education made supporting higher education through CUNY one of her top priorities.

Helen Marshall’s Queens College notebook

It has been a privilege to gain hands-on archival processing experience under the supervision of Annie Tummino, Head of Special Collection and Archives at Queens College Library (QCL). I would like to thank Annie for the time and expert guidance she shared with me to help complete this project, as well as archives staff members Caitlin Colban-Waldron and Reign McConnell for their advice and encouragement. I also extend my appreciation to the Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) for providing the generous grant that allowed me to complete this project, as well as the entire staff and administration of QCL for their support of my professional development.

GIANNA N. FRACCALVIERI is a current graduate student pursuing a dual degree in Library Science and History with an Advanced Certificate in Archives at the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (GSLIS). From January to June 2024, Gianna processed the Helen Marshall Papers as a Project Archivist at Queens College Special Collections and Archives. Gianna has been working in public and academic libraries across Queens and Long Island since 2021, and she aspires to work in archives full-time after graduating in the spring.

This project (Arranging and Describing the Helen Marshall Papers) was made possible in part by a grant from the Documentary Heritage Program of the New York State Archives, a program of the State Education Department.

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Make STEAM Q on View

Whereas Q stands for: Quizzical, Quantify, Questions, Quirky, Queens, Quintessential, Quantitative…

We from the QC Makerspace, the QC Library, & the QC Faculty Fellows and team involved for the past few years on a National Science Foundation-funded initiative invite you to view the current showcase of making and design thinking projects by students throughout Queens College.

With over 100 2D & 3D objects, art, and artifacts on view from students of ANTH, ART, DESN, ECON, MATH, PHOTO, and everything in-between, I hope you will be inspired by what you see: 3D-prints of 3D-scanned archaeological artifacts, conceptual pitches for community-focused innovation hubs, visual representations of code-as-art, ceramic vessels fabricated from 3D-models & prints, mathematically-generated designs, and more.

I realize many students are busy right now with Finals. If you’re taking a break, wanting to clear your mind, or looking be inspired by newfound forms and ideas, I invite you to stop by the rotunda outside Rosenthal Room 230 – outside the “Lecture Hall” downstairs from the Library Cafe.

I hope you have the opportunity to stop by to view the showcase in person!

This showcase is only a fraction of the work product students produced over the past couple semesters. Which is to say congratulations to all of the students who participated in these courses to help me, the Make STEAM Q team, QC, and the greater maker movement research and understand the impact of making & design thinking on students of a Hispanic-serving institution – also thank you to the National Science Foundation for supporting this multi-year-long research project. We couldn’t have done this without the support and involvement of so many people and all together we hope to Make STEAM Q!

May 2024: Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

In celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), we selected featured resources that spotlight the diverse cultures and experiences of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities.

Museum of Science Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month — *Image credit:* *Museum of Science*.

The AAPI Heritage Month 2024 page in Asian Studies guide provides open sources and searchable library resources using library OneSearch’s “QC + CUNY Libraries” and “SUNY Libraries” options.

Facts for AAPIHM

Since 1992, when Congress passed Public Law 102-450 designating May as the annual Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPIHM), AAPIHM has become a month-long celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islanders’ contributions to the United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, the estimated number of Asian alone-or-in-combination residents in the United States was 24.7 million, and the estimated population of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders was 1.8 million.

Below is a snapshot of AAPI in the national business based on the 2022 Annual Business Survey, data year 2021.

Featured Books

Memory piece
New York: Riverhead Books, 2024

“Three Asian American teenagers meet in the New York suburbs in the 1980s. Drawn together by their shared sense of alienation from their conventionally domestic immigrant families, each wants to live a meaningful life.”

The best we could do: an illustrated memoir
New York: Abrams ComicArts, an imprint of ABRAMS, 2017

“Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves.”

Narrating nationalisms: ideology and form in Asian American literature
New York; Oxford University Press, 2023

“Ling’s book rereads five works by John Okada, Louis Chu, Frank Chin, and Maxine Hong Kingston in order to reconceptualize the relationship between the past and present of post-World War II Asian-American literary history.”

Asian American is not a color: conversations on race, affirmative action, and family
Boston: Beacon Press, 2024

“A mother and race scholar seeks to answer her daughter’s many questions about race and racism with an earnest exploration into race relations and affirmative action from the perspectives of Asian Americans.”

Every drop is a man’s nightmare: stories
New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023

“Megan Kamalei Kakimoto’s wrenching and sensational debut story collection follows a cast of mixed native Hawaiian and Japanese women through a contemporary landscape thick with inherited wisdom and the ghosts of colonization.”

Wei skates on
New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023

“Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Champion Nathan Chen delivers an inspirational picture book about facing your fears and finding the joy in sports, no matter the outcome.”

Digital Archives and Websites

Asian Pacific American History: “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can trace their histories to a region that spans more than half the globe. They have played key roles in shaping America’s past, leaving an enduring impact in areas such as work, politics, culture, and law. They have done so as immigrants, sojourners, settlers, refugees, citizens, non-citizens, residents, U.S. nationals, and members of overthrown sovereign kingdoms. ”

Annexation of Hawaii: Topics in Chronicling America: “The United States annexed Hawaii in 1898 at the urging of President William McKinley. This guide provides access to material related to the ‘Annexation of Hawaii’ in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.”

Chinese Exclusion Act: Topics in Chronicling America: “During the late 1800s, the Chinese Exclusion Act prevented Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S. This guide provides access to materials related to the ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’ in the Chronicling America digital collection of historical newspapers.”

Cherry Blossom Trees: Topics in Chronicling America:“ An early 20th-century gift of cherry trees from Japan to the United States became a symbol of friendship. This guide provides access to materials related to the ‘Cherry Blossom Trees’ in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.”

Streaming Media and Films

Asian Americans. Episode one, Breaking Ground: “This series traces the story of Asian Americans, spanning 150 years of immigration, racial politics, and cultural innovation. It is a timely look at the role that Asian Americans have played in defining who we are as a nation. In an era of U.S. expansion, new immigrants arrive from China, India, Japan, the Philippines, and beyond. Eventually barred by anti-Asian laws, they become America’s first ‘undocumented immigrants.'”

The Donut King: “The rags to riches story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee arriving in America in 1975 and building a multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. His story is one of love, hard knocks, survival, and redemption. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business.”

Raya and the Last Dragon: “Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world; it’s going to take trust as well.”

The Making of Asian America: A History: “In the past fifty years, Asian Americans have helped change the face of America and are now the fastest growing group in the United States. But as award-winning historian Erika Lee reminds us, Asian Americans also have deep roots in the country. The Making of Asian America tells the little-known history of Asian Americans and their role in American life, from the arrival of the first Asians in the Americas to the present day.”

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Join Deaf Power! for “Hands, Hearts, and Hope: ASL, Disability Justice, and the Sweet Unity of Cookies”

Join Deaf Power! for “Hands, Hearts, and Hope: ASL, Disability Justice, and the Sweet Unity of Cookies” a social engagement event that will explore American Sign Language and the rich culture of the Deaf and Disability community on Wednesday, May 15 from 2:00-4:00 PM at the Rosenthal Library, 3rd floor.

The event will feature an exploration of American Sign Language (ASL), the societal barriers faced by the Deaf community, and the resilience and talents that flourish within it. We’re honored to spotlight the remarkable work of Christine Sun Kim, an accomplished deaf artist whose creativity knows no bounds.

Co-organizer and QC Art Student Glendy Scaletta Rocco and QC Professor and ASL instructor Robert Flaucher will lead facilitated discussions around the nuances of ASL, Disability Justice, and the experiences of the Deaf community. Whether fluent in ASL or eager to learn more about Deaf culture, “Hands, Hearts and Hope” invites everyone to celebrate and join in solidarity. Join us as we honor diversity, promote inclusion, and savor the sweet unity of shared experiences and treats.

This event is associated with the Art Department course ARTS 333: Introduction to Social Engage Art Practice, led by Professor Natalia Nakazawa, and hosted by the group Deaf Power: Glendy Scaletta, Liana Allayeva, Craig Corujo, and James Douett.

Mark your calendars for this special occasion, Wednesday, May 15 from 2:00-4:00 PM in the Rosenthal Library Norman and Carole A. Barham Rotunda (3rd floor) and classroom 300i. Light refreshments, including various delicious cookies, will be served, fostering a welcoming camaraderie and connection.

May15

Hands, Hearts, and Hope: ASL, Disability Justice, and the Sweet Unity of Cookies

When:May 15, 2024 2:00 pm

Where:Rosenthal Library: Norman and Carole A. Barham Rotunda (3rd floor) and classroom 300i

A social engagement event that will explore American Sign Language and the rich culture of the Deaf and Disability community.

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Music Library Book Sale: April 3, 2024

The QC Music Library would like to announce the return of the BOOK SALE to the Aaron Copland School of Music (ACSM). Items for sale will include Books, Scores, CDs, and more. The sale is CASH ONLY.

Location:
ACSM Atrium

Date:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Time:
10am – 4pm

Please contact the Music Library if you have any questions about the event: musiclibrary@qc.cuny.edu.

See you then!

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Special Collections & Archives James J. Periconi Research Fellowship

In late 2021, James J. Periconi donated his collection of Italian-language American imprints to Queens College Special Collections and Archives. Lovingly curated over multiple decades, the collection consists of over 500 items that provide unique insight into what Italian immigrants to the United States were reading, writing, and thinking about at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

After a successful first year, the Queens College Library, in collaboration with the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and generously supported by James J. Periconi, is again offering a research fellowship program that will defray costs for a scholar to conduct research with the collection over a period of two to four weeks. Read about last year’s fellows and their fascinating research in this collection.

Il Martello [The Hammer], Vol. VIII, No. 14. New York: Casa Ed. “Il Martello,” 27 Aprile [April] 1922

The collection can be browsed through the CUNY OneSearch catalog or on a curated website that includes images and essays. Research fellowship applications are due by June 15, 2024. This program is generously funded by James J. Periconi. Details are posted below.

Research Fellowship details and logistics

Details and Requirements:

Scholars receive a stipend of between $2500-$4500 to defray travel costs, depending on budget and length of stay. The stipend is provided once the scholar is in-residence.
Scholars are expected to be in residence for two to four weeks, between September 1, 2024, and September 1, 2025. Dates must be arranged with Special Collections and Archives well in advance.
All research will take place at the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library Building, Queens College, City University of New York, during normal business hours.
During the summer months only, on-campus housing may be possible just steps from the library. Detailed information upon request.
Scholars at all stages of their careers from the U.S. or abroad may apply. Accepted applicants from outside the U.S. are required to obtain a J-1 visa.
Fellows will have opportunities to interact with the Calandra Institute and associated scholars at The City University of New York, as well as James J. Periconi.
Fellows are expected to share their research in-progress through a discussion hosted by the Calandra Institute.

Three World War I Patriotic (Anti-German Militarism) Italian-American Chromolithographs. New York: Italian Book Co., 1918

Application details

Applications for the 2024-2025 fellowship are due by June 15, 2024.

Applications must include:

A brief biographical statement of not more than 350 words
An overview of the proposed project, and how access to the Periconi Collection will aid the research process (3 pages maximum)
A current resume or CV.
One letter of reference.
One-page budget and proposed length of research visit (between 2-4 weeks)

Submit applications with Subject Line “Research Fellowship Application to” qc.archives@qc.cuny.edu by the end-of-day on June 15, 2024. Applications will be judged by a committee of reviewers.

Processing the Helen Marshall Papers: A Q/A with the Archivist

Did you know that Queens College Special Collections and Archives is home to the Helen Marshall Papers? Donated to the Library by Donald E. Marshall in 2017, the collection is comprised of 40 boxes of papers, photographs, and memorabilia documenting Marshall’s celebrated career in politics.

Marshall (1929 – 2017) was the second woman and first African American Borough President of Queens, elected to three four-year terms starting in 2001. Earlier, she served on the New York City Council for ten years in the 1990s and in the New York State Assembly for eight years in the 1980s. She was the first director of the Langston Hughes Library in Corona, Queens, when it was founded in 1969. Marshall was the daughter of Guyanese immigrants, growing up in Harlem and the Bronx and obtaining her BA in education from Queens College.

Photo and letter from the Helen Marshall Papers

Thanks to a $12,000 grant from the New York State Archives Documentary Heritage Program, Gianna Fraccalvieri, a graduate student in the Library and Information Studies Program, was recently hired as the Project Archivist to process the collection. In celebration of Black History Month, we sat down with Gianna to discuss the Helen Marshall project as it gets underway.

Q: Gianna, you are near to completing your graduate degree in Library and Information Studies with a Certificate in Archives. What got you interested in this field?

Gianna: I’ve always enjoyed the process of conducting historical research as a student, and working in libraries taught me that I enjoy helping others do the same. I learned about archiving as a career field through the MLS/MA dual degree program and became intrigued by the many different roles that archivists can play in facilitating exciting research experiences.

A conference program from the Helen Marshall Papers.

Q: Now that you have had a chance to survey the collection, what have you learned about Helen Marshall so far?

Gianna: Throughout her political career, Helen Marshall advocated for the rights and needs of Queens communities concerning a variety of social justice causes, including racial equity, women’s issues, public health and housing, improving higher education at CUNY, and much more. She was a leader on multiple fronts, often championing local initiatives in government by closely participating with community groups and organizations.

Q: Any gems in the collection that stood out to you?

Gianna: There are quite a few lovely portraits of Marshall in this collection, documenting the arc of her journey from early childhood to late adulthood. Photographs of Marshall with family and friends, community members, and other well-known politicians help to visually convey her dynamic influence through the years.

Q: What do you anticipate being a particular challenge to processing this collection?

Gianna arranging materials from the Helen Marshall Papers.

Gianna: Arranging this collection in a way that makes it as accessible as possible to researchers is one of my top priorities, but I must also consider practical limitations such as the large quantity of materials and the timeframe of the project. Processing this collection will require me to maintain a healthy balance between detail-oriented and big-picture thinking.

Q: How do you anticipate this collection being used by teachers or researchers in the future?

Gianna: Broadly, this collection has a high research value for scholars interested in investigating the social and political histories of New York State, New York City, and the borough of Queens between the 1980s and 2010s. Additionally, the mix of professional and personal materials in this collection provides excellent opportunities to study Marshall as a historical figure in her own right, especially regarding her position as a first-generation African American woman in politics.

Gianna will be preserving, arranging, and cataloging the collection this spring. The project will culminate this June with the publication of an archival finding aid that will make the collection open for research. Stay tuned!

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The Passing of Arthur “Ben” Chitty

The Library mourns the loss of Arthur “Ben” Chitty, Higher Education Associate, who served as long-time Library Systems Officer, and PSC-CUNY union activist.

From Simone Yearwood, Interim Dean, School of Arts and Humanities:

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Arthur Ben Chitty on Sunday, February 11. Shortly before his retirement in Summer 2023, Ben was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Ben began working at Queens College in 1984 as an assistant professor in the Paul Klapper Library. With the opening of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library in 1988, he transitioned to an administrative role as the library systems officer (HEO), where he remained until his retirement. Throughout his tenure, he took on various responsibilities including acting acquisitions librarian and acting head of technical services. Before his retirement, he served as the assistant to the chief librarian for special projects, focusing on the assessment of the college’s Federal Depository Library Program. He previously taught as an adjunct at the Queens College Graduate School of Library & Information Studies.

Ben was a champion in promoting health and safety practices and contract enforcement. He worked tirelessly and was a staunch advocate for the PSC and DC37 unions. He played a key role in organizing the Queens College Unions Joint Committee on Quality of Work Life, the sole cross-union committee in the City University, which convened monthly for over a decade. Alongside his wife Priscilla Murolo, he co-authored From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A Short Illustrated History of Labor in the United States. Ben’s activism extended beyond academia. He was involved in the antiwar veteran’s movement since his discharge from the US Navy in 1969, initially with Vietnam Veterans Against the War and then with Veterans for Peace, advocating for peace and social justice. He leaves behind his wife, two stepsons, and two grandchildren. Information on his memorial service will be forthcoming.

February 2024: Black History Month (Art History)

by: Gianna Fraccalvieri, QCL Information Assistant

Please join us in honoring Black History Month this February by viewing a selection of books celebrating the lives and work of various Black American artists, displayed on the main level of the Queens College Library (Rosenthal, 3rd floor). Curated by Amanda Lea Perez, our Substitute Visual & Performing Arts-Art Librarian, this cultural awareness collection seeks to emphasize the diverse history and ongoing influence of Black American artists in the world of visual and performing arts.

Some of the featured artists include Kara Walker, famous for her silhouetted figures among other multimedia works of art; Jean-Michel Basquiat, known for his neo-expressionist drawings, paintings, and graffiti street art; Faith Ringgold, renowned for her multimedia sculptures, performance art, paintings, and art education; and William Pope.L, remembered for his “interventionist public art,” performances, and much more. Other Black American artists including Lorna Simpson, Theaster Gates, and Charles White are highlighted in this selection, as well as scholarly sources analyzing the lasting impact these individuals had on the arts in the United States and beyond.

Seeking to “improve the representation of Contemporary Black artists in the QC collection,” Amanda has recently ordered more books that will soon be available to browse in the Art Collection (Rosenthal, 6th floor). Some of these new acquisitions include Amy Sherald: The World We Make, Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks, and Simone Leigh, among others. To further explore your interests, please browse the print books on display, use OneSearch to find related e-books and academic articles, meet with a research librarian in the Research Office (Rm. 344) and, of course, visit Amanda in the Art Collection!

Display curated by Amanda Lea Perez, Substitute Visual & Performing Arts-Art Librarian / Blog post written by Gianna Fraccalvieri, Information Assistant

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ICPSR News: Scholarship, Researcher Passport, and Love Data Week

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is an international consortium of more than 750 academic institutions and research organizations, including Queens College. In this new year 2024, again, ICPSR brings data users new resources.

New Scholarship

For students: NEW Data Communication Scholarship

The NEW Data Communication Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Promoting a research study from the ICPSR catalog by creating a compelling short video, students are able to compete for scholarships up to $1000. Apply by Feb. 23.

2024 ICPSR Summer Program: improving data skills with scholarships

The scholarships for 2024 ICPSR Summer Program cover one of the General Sessions, which are available online, asynchronously or live, or in person. All materials for the Sessions are available through December 31, 2024. Courses in these Sessions aim to assist data users in quickly advancing and strengthening skills in data analysis, quantitative methods, and statistics.

View the full list of scholarships. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Monday, February 26.

New Changes

Besides the new home page, ICPSR has updated its data user authentication process to assist data users in transiting from MyData to Researcher Passport.

ICPSR’s Researcher Passport helps data users take advantage of the new Research Data Ecosystem, a National Science Foundation-supported project, in support of the research lifecycle. Using Researcher Passport, Data users are able to securely and safely connect, access, store, and manipulate data.

Love Data Week: Feb. 12-16

Join Love Data Week to participate in new activities and draw on resources suitable for all levels:

Scavenger Hunt – 9 questions with hints and answers
Crossword Puzzles – 2 puzzles with 8 questions each
Search and Find activity
Material for K-6 with instructions