Every month on Lake Effect, we partner with the Milwaukee Public Library for our Book of the Month Series to bring you new reading recommendations.
Today’s recommendations are from Sarah Finn, the Archival Projects Librarian in the Special Collections department at the Milwaukee Public Library. Finn has many roles in her job, but a key part is connecting people to the historic materials housed at the library, including in theRare Books Room. And so, for this month's book recommendations, we're focusing on plants and and some of the things found in the rare books collection.
Botanical books for adults
Art of Botanical Illustrationby Wilfrid Blunt and William T. Stearn
"People may not realize that printed illustrations were a critical method of communicating information about the natural world before the invention of photography ... So, this book really is a great starting place if you were curious about that history and digging a little deeper," says Finn.
Plant: Exploring the Botanical Worldby Victoria Clark and Rosie Pickles
Finn says, "I thought this was a really great complementary book to the Art of Botanical Illustration because it has printed images, but it also really explores all different types of media. So photography, sculpture, even scanning electron microscope images that show parts of plants that we might not see with the naked eye, and it really takes a global approach."
Botanical books for children
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Scienceby Joyce Sidman
Finn explains, "This is aimed more at middle school age readers, and it's a biography of the German naturalist Maria Sibylla Merian, who was born in 1647... and what I really love about this book is it's one of the only ones that I've seen that introduces the concept of printmaking and book history to a younger audience."
What's Inside a Flower?: And other Questions about Science & Natureby Rachel Ignotofsky
"It's summer time and people are outside and playing in their yard, having vegetable gardens and things like that. So, it's a book that answers a lot of questions kids might have about plants or introduces them to scientific concepts," states Finn.
Finn says the full extent of collections at the library are hidden gems for most visitors. "I don't think most people who come to Central Library and are just walking around really realize how much we have in this building. How much there is in all these storage areas, the rare books room," she notes. "We also have four floors underneath the public area of the library that store periodicals and all sorts of things, so not just special collections. That just all are amazing print resources and things like that."
The access of materials does vary if you're interested in looking at any of the special collections according to Finn. If you're interested in local history collections, you can make an appointment with the Special Collections account any day the library is open to view them in the Zielder Humanities Room. The Rare Books Collection is also open for appointment two days a week.
"People can access these [books] on their own if you can't make it to a program, but wanted to see something, we're welcoming the public in to make appointments and look at our materials," she says.
To utilize the collections and dig deeper into the botanical themed book recommendations, the library is putting on two programs:
Treasures of the Rare Books Room: Botanical Prints at Central
Saturday, August 12, 2023 — 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
The Richard and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room at Central Library holds a large number of books that feature beautiful botanical prints. Join us for a presentation about the history of various artistic styles and printmaking methods used to produce illustrations of plants throughout the centuries. There will be an accompanying display that can be viewed after the presentation.
Event link: https://www.mpl.org/services/events/?eid=132839
Rare Books Room Exhibit: Botanical Prints at Central
Saturday, August 26, 2023 — 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Visit the Richard and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room at Central Library to view a display of rare botanical works spanning several centuries. The materials will showcase different art styles and printmaking methods used to create illustrations of plants. Librarians will be present to answer questions.
Event Link: https://www.mpl.org/services/events/?eid=132853
If you have questions about Special Collections or Rare Books you can send an e-mail to mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.
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