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Books for fall classes, thought-provoking, exhibition-related items and more... Visit in person or online to see all the exciting new offerings that we have in store for you!
Wheels Exhibit
Bicycling for Ladies is the trailblazing book that introduced women to bicycling and shocked a Victorian culture on its release in 1896. Today it remains comprehensive and useful, but also celebrates women's advancement in the sport and offers an inspiring, and amusing, look back.
Maria E. Ward let the social norms and gendered expectations of the nineteenth century eat her dust when she wrote the groundbreaking guide to bicycling for women. In chapters such as Women and Tools, Dress, and How to Make Progress, Ward explains the function of wheels, gears, and spokes, gives instruction on how to safely and efficiently ride, and discusses optimal attire (layers and a stretchy corset, of course).
Ward's detailed mechanical and physical instruction, paired with helpful images and charts, makes daunting ordeals like hill climbing, navigating traffic, and bike maintenance a breeze. In modern times, when so much is outsourced, automated, and unreliable, Ward's approach to transportation is refreshing. But while bicycling is rich with health and environmental benefits, male bicyclists still outnumber female riders, most competitive cyclists are male, and women are more likely to report feeling unsafe on a bike. Ward's text gives women the tools they need to claim their stake of the road. For seasoned cyclists or those just starting out, it is a timeless and relevant directive--ideal for today's woman who's ready to take the world by the handlebars.
The photos and instructional images throughout Bicycling for Ladies are the result of a collaboration between Ward and Alice Austen, one of America's earliest and most prolific professional female photographers. The volume has an elegant new design and is small enough to ride with.
This handmade bookmark has been modelled on a surviving 15th-century bookmark held in The Newberry Library (Case MS 37.5). Originally made in scriptorium offcuts of vellum or parchment, this modern version is in animal-friendly, parchment-effect, card and is handsewn with linen thread.
"Great tidbits or obscure, entertaining facts can be found on any given page." --Library Journal
For thousands of years, board games have captured our imaginations as we have conspired against, chased, and attacked one another across the table from our friends and foes, locked quest for victory.
In his newly updated History of Board Games (the previous edition was titled: The Oxford History of Board Games ), David Parlett explores the fascinating origins and development of our favorite games - from the Egyptian and Asian predecessors of checkers and chess to modern classics like Monopoly and Clue. With an entertaining, accessible style, Parlett delves into what is one of the most universal roots of our cultural history, highlighting the importance of game-playing as a vital part of the human experience.
In addition to his detailed research on the mechanisms of games, Parlett adds his unique insight drawing upon 20 years of experience as a professional games researcher, critic and game inventor to explore lesser-known and experimental games.
Games covered in this entertaining title include Alquerque; backgammon; chess; Cluedo; Draughts; Fox & Geese; Go; Halma; Ludo; Monopoly; Noughts & Crosses; Oware; Pachisi; Scrabble; Snakes & Ladders; solitaire; Trivial Pursuit are included, along with many more.
Get all the adrenaline and fun of roller derby skating without having to break a sweat. Get 50 coloring pages with 50 fun facts about this exciting sport. That is over 100 pages of content. All the pages feature original hand drawn black and white pictures showing women and girls having fun on roller skates. Apply your chosen color palette to give life to the pages in this inspiring activity book. This would make a perfect gift for those who love to roller skate and rollerblade.
Since 1935, roller derby has thrilled fans and skaters with its constant action, hard hits, and edgy attitude. However, though its participants' athleticism is undeniable, roller derby has never been accepted as a "real" sport. Michella M. Marino, herself a former skater, tackles the history of a sport that has long been a cultural mainstay for one reason both utterly simple and infinitely complex: roller derby has always been coed.
Richly illustrated and drawing on oral histories, archival materials, media coverage, and personal experiences, Roller Derby is the first comprehensive history of this cultural phenomenon, one enjoyed by millions yet spurned by mainstream gatekeepers. Amid the social constraints of the mid-twentieth century, roller derby's emphasis on gender equality attracted male and female athletes alike, producing gender relations and gender politics unlike those of traditional sex-segregated sports. In an enlightening feminist critique, Marino considers how the promotion of pregnancy and motherhood by roller derby management has simultaneously challenged and conformed to social norms. Finally, Marino assesses the sport's present and future after its resurgence in the 2000s.
