Trout Library Blog - Library Guides at Charles H. Trout Library

In this blog post, I am going to detail two websites that will provide reliable and useful information for your research.

The first is Our World in Data, which is a great resource to use to find data on various topics. It is a collaborative effort between researchers at the University of Oxford, who are the scientific editors of the website content, and the non-profit organization Global Change Data Lab, which publishes and maintains the website and data tools. The website is open access, and all charts are licensed under Creative Commons.

A link to Our World in Data is included under Statistical Websites in my News, Politics & Current Events guide. Links to various Our World in Data reports can be found in some of our topic library guides.

The site leads with its Latest Publications, many of which are currently reports related to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

Scroll down further to find other categories, which include Health, Demographic Change, Food and Agriculture, Education and Knowledge, Energy and Environment, Innovation and Technological Change, Poverty and Economic Development; Living Conditions, Community and Wellbeing; Human Rights and Democracy, and Violence and War.

Click on a block in a category of interest, and you will be taken to a page featuring narrative accompanied by colorful graphs, charts, and maps that go back decades and, in some cases, centuries. Reports contain copious references, some with links, and often suggested resources for further study.

For example, if you were interested in a health topic, then scroll down to Health, where you will find links to many reports:

The first report is about life expectancy. Let’s check that one out by clicking on it. You will be linked to a page that contains over 20 charts and graphs related to the topic. Here is an example to whet your appetite:

The other resource that I would like to present is ScienceDaily, a site that aggregates the latest research news in scientific fields – including medicine, the physical sciences, the environment, the biological sciences, the social sciences, and more. Stories are posted daily, selected from press materials provided by hundreds of sources from around the world. Links to ScienceDaily can be found under the Websites & Tutorials tab in the Science & Math Library Guide as well as in the various health topic guides. The Science & Math guide also contains the news feed from ScienceDaily.

When you enter the website, you will see a general summary of the latest news and a menu across the top that will allow you to narrow your search by field:

Let’s go into the Health menu and choose to look at the latest research on heart disease. You will be taken to a page with links to articles along with a menu of other health topics on the left-hand side of the page that includes subdivisions of the topic of heart health:

Now, let’s choose a specific article. You will get a summary, the full story, the date, the source, and various ways to share the item:

Scroll down to the bottom, and you will find a journal reference and doi link along with options for MLA and APA citations.

Remember that if you have questions about these resources or any other, please don’t hesitate to ask us. You may contact the Trout Library by sending an email to library@harcum.edu, or you may use our chat service during the hours posted on the Library’s homepage.

Bill Fanshel

Evening/Weekend Librarian

wfanshel@harcum.edu

610-229-9311

Recent Posts

Unveiling Harcum’s Hidden History Through Advertisements

Imagine stumbling across a century-old advertisement that sheds light on the remarkable women who shaped Harcum College. This thrilling discovery recently unfolded at the Charles H. Trout Library, where the archives gained three original advertisements for The Harcum School for Girls, published in Harper's Magazine. Generously donated by Mrs. Margaret Tucker DeTemple and Mr. David Lockwood, these seemingly modest documents open a window to the early years that shaped Harcum’s legacy. In this blog post, we’ll look at two of the three advertisements.Cornelia G. HarcumA clipping for The Harcum School for Girls where trailblazing academic, Cornelia G. Harcum is listed as Head of Academic Department. Donated by David Lockwood and Margaret Tucker DeTemple.The earliest of these treasures is a 1919 advertisement mentioning Cornelia G. Harcum, Ph.D., as Head of the Academic Department. Cornelia, the elder half-sister of Harcum’s co-founder Octavius Marvin Harcum, was a trailblazer in academia and a brilliant scholar. According to her Wikipedia entry, she earned both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1914—a rare feat for women at the time. Her distinguished career included teaching Latin at Vassar College and Wellesley College.Cornelia Gaskins Harcum portrait from Goucher College, 1908 yearbook. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.Harcum College archives confirm that Cornelia held the role of Academic Head at The Harcum School for Girls between 1919 and 1920, before leaving to join the Royal Ontario Museum of Archaeology and the University of Toronto. An accomplished researcher, Cornelia published extensively on food and culture in the Roman Empire. Her contributions earned high praise from her advisor at Johns Hopkins, David Moore Robinson, who described her as "one of the best archaeology students ever graduated from Hopkins." Despite her untimely passing in 1927 at the age of 49, Cornelia’s legacy endures through the advertisement that sheds light on her vital role in Harcum’s history.Harcum in Harper’sYears later, Harcum’s dedication to empowering women through education remained strong, as reflected in another intriguing advertisement from Harper's Magazine. While undated, clues help narrow its publication to the late 1920s. College records reveal that Mrs. L. May Willis, Academic Head, worked at Harcum College between 1921 and 1929. Further analysis shows that Harper's New Monthly Magazine became Harper's Magazine in 1925, leading to an estimated publication period of 1925-1929.An advertisement for The Harcum School for Girls clipped from Harper's Magazine, likely from between 1925 to 1929. Donation of David Lockwood and Margaret Tucker DeTemple.Mrs. L. May Willis, B.P., Academic Head, Harcum College 1921 to 1929Mrs. Willis’s inclusion in this advertisement underscores Edith Harcum’s commitment to working with remarkable women educators. Mrs. Willis was a life-long educator. Read about Mrs. Willis in a previous blog post and her connection to artist Georgia O’Keefe. The advertisement also exposes a deliberate strategy to connect with students nationwide by advertising in widely-read publications. Intriguingly, Harcum also placed ads in Harper's Bazar, demonstrating the intention to expand its reach. This piece is not just a marketing relic; it’s a testament to Harcum’s evolving mission and national prominence.A Vision Ahead of its TimeBoth advertisements offer a compelling glimpse into Harcum College’s visionary approach to education. Edith Harcum’s philosophy of individualized learning broke barriers, providing opportunities for women in a time when such prospects were rare (Back 21). These artifacts, now part of the archives, encapsulate Harcum’s enduring legacy of empowering women through education.The Harcum community is invited to explore these treasures and delve deeper into the rich history that shaped the College’s foundation.SourcesBack, A. Harcum College: a centennial history. The Donning Company Publishers, 2016. Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock. “Harper’s Monthly Magazine.” Encyclopedia of American Literature, by Inc. Manly, 3rd ed., Facts On File, 2013. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6MTI0MzUxOQ==?aid=237793. “Cornelia Gaskins Harcum.” Canada’s Early Women Writers, 18 May 2018."Cornelia Gaskins Harcum." Goucher College, Donnybrook Fair (1908 yearbook): 32. via Goucher College Digital Library., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=153653300Miss C.G. Harcum archaeologist, dies. The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland, Friday, May 20, 1927, page 3https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-miss-c-g-harcum-arc/156735773/ Wikipedia contributors. "Cornelia Gaskins Harcum." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 20 Oct. 2024. Web. 14 Mar. 2025. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

A Familiar Face

This post is inspired by a recent conversation with an alumna who graduated with the Class of 1948. Dr. Stork was her favorite instructor while at Harcum. I was happy to report that his bust is on display in the Charles H. Trout Library. In fact, the sculpture of Dr. Charles Wharton Stork has been a permanent fixture within the Charles H. Trout Library since 1984. The story behind the sculpture is an interesting piece of Harcum history. Definition:Bust: a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person ~ Collins English Dictionary, 2014Charles Wharton Stork was born in Philadelphia in 1881. He attended Haverford College, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued a career as an academic and literary author, poet, and translator. He was well-known for his translations of Swedish and Danish poetry. You can find four of his books in our collection. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania until 1916. He left teaching for a time to pursue a writing career. His return to teaching brought him to Harcum College from 1935 to 1951. While teaching here, he continued to write poetry and publish. He submitted a poem to the inaugural issue of The Springboard, a literary magazine published by the students of Harcum College in 1935. Dr. Stork was returning to America from a trip to the British Isles on September 1, 1939 on the SS Athenia. On September 3rd, the British declared war on Germany. That same day, only three days into the voyage and 200 nautical miles northwest of Ireland, the ship was attacked by the German submarine U-30 and suffered severe damage from a torpedo. Fortunately, most of the 1,418 passengers and crew were able to escape to lifeboats, however 98 passengers and 19 crew members perished. Dr. Stork was one of the lucky survivors. He was able to board a lifeboat which was rescued by a Royal Navy destroyer. Stork wrote about his ordeal in an article for The Saturday Evening Post called “Sketches by an ‘Athenian'”. You can read the article in EBSCOhost Discovery. The full citation is listed below. The SS Athenia sank 14 hours after it was struck. It was the first UK ship sunk by Germany in World War II.SS Athenia in Montreal Harbour in 1933. Public domain image. Credit National Archives of Canada.Dr. Stork was very well-liked by students at Harcum College. I have to wonder what reception he received upon arriving back to the Bryn Mawr campus in 1939. The 1943 yearbook was dedicated to Dr. Stork stating “We are fond of him as a friend, honor his ability, and appreciate all he has done to instill in us a richer appreciation of the finer things in life. ”Stork was married and had four children. His eldest son Francis Wharton Stork was an artist and the sculptor of the bust. The sculpture is made of fiberglass and resin. It was gifted to Harcum College in 1984 by the artist. Two of Stork's children, daughter Rosalie Stork Regan and Francis Wharton Stork attended the unveiling of the sculpture held in the library. The sculpture has been on display in the Strauss Family Rotunda since it was unveiled 40 years ago and has a permanent home there. Francis Wharton Stork made a similar sculpture cast in bronze which was gifted to The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Sources“Charles Wharton Stork.” Department of English, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 2024, www.english.upenn.edu/people/charles-wharton-stork. Francis Wharton Stork, “Charles Wharton Stork,” General Collection, Museum Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Athenaeum of Philadelphia Featured Collections, accessed October 18, 2024, https://omeka.philaathenaeum.org/collections/items/show/3483.Mawdsley, Evan. “Sinking the SS Athenia.” Yale University Press, 4 Aug. 2020, https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2020/08/04/sinking-the-ss-athenia/.Stork, Charles Wharton. “Sketches by an ‘Athenian.’” Saturday Evening Post, vol. 212, no. 19, Nov. 1939, pp. 33–98. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=f8feecb7-287f-3545-8d67-3c9c89363ae4. *Note: The password for EBSCOhost Discovery is found in your Harcum Hatch under “Library Database Passwords”. “Rosalie Stork Regan and Francis Stork with Charles Stork bust (1984),” Trout Library's Digital Archives & Special Collections, accessed October 17, 2024, https://harcumarchives.omeka.net/items/show/55.Wikipedia contributors. "Charles Wharton Stork." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Aug. 2023. Web. 18 Oct. 2024. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Elizabeth "Libbie" Hall Willis, Harcum School Principal, 1921-1929

Recently, I was asked for records from our archive relating to Elizabeth "Libbie" Hall Wilis. What we found was a new piece of Harcum College history I think is worth documenting.Willis was the Head of the Academic Department and Prinicpal from approximately 1921 to 1929 and later an advisor to Edith Harcum until approximately 1934. Elizabeth Hall Willis, who went by Libbie, obtained a degree in painting from Syracuse University. Before coming to the Harcum School, she had a career as an art teacher at the University of Arkansas and at Chatham Hall. It was while teaching art at Chatham Hall she met a student, Georgia O'Keefe. You can read about this encounter and the on-going professional relationship between Willis and O'Keefe in Linda Grasso's book Equal under the Sky: Georgia O'Keefe & Twentieth Century Feminism. Equal under the Sky by Linda M. GrassoCall Number: 759.13 .G769 2019ISBN: 9780826360731Publication Date: 2019See pages 107-115Willis came to the Harcum School to lead the academics and college preparation program. Her title in 1921 was “Head of the Academic Department” but it was later changed to Principal. Throughout her time at Harcum, she was mentioned in the yearbook, Purple Patches, especially in association with her work with college preparation studies. In the "Class Will" in 1922 the students express fond appreciation and love for her. The 1923 yearbook was dedicated to Mrs. Willis. This is quite a show of support by the student body. Her portrait finally appears in the 1929 yearbook. She left Harcum School after 1929, although she was mentioned as an advisor in the 1934 academic calendar, perhaps she stayed in touch to advise Edith Harcum. The biggest surprise of all is that we found her on video. In those years, Edith Harcum’s son Bill Harcum was given a silent film camera and he took silent moving images around the school. The films were digitized and Bill Harcum gave commentary on the films. You can see Elizabeth Willis briefly at 0:12 seconds, right at the beginning of the film. Bill Harcum mentions Mrs. Willis by name and calls her the head mistress. Libbie Hall Willis had a interesting life as an artist and academic before and after her time at Harcum College. Harcum is fortunate to be able to claim her as one of our own. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Election 2023

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Polls are open in Pennsylvania from 7am until 8pm. Although 2023 is not a federal election year, there are still many important judicial and municipal races on the ballot. If you live in Philadelphia, for example, you will be electing a mayor. The right to vote is sacred, and we encourage everyone to exercise it. While off-year elections do not receive the same level of attention as presidential races, the outcome of elections for local offices and judgeships also can have a significant impact on your life -- sometimes a greater impact than higher-level offices. In addition, your vote is more likely to make a difference in municipal races since the constituency is smaller and races therefore can be decided by a handful of votes. Note as well that people who occupy local elected positions sometimes will run for higher office at a later date. So there are many reasons to go to the polls and vote! The race at the top of the Pennsylvania ballot is for a vacant seat on the seven-member state Supreme Court. Click the hyperlinks below for information about the candidates: Daniel McCaffery (Democrat) Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio (Republican) A good site to use for election information is Vote 411 from the League of Women Voters. It provides links that will allow you to verify your voter registration and to create a sample ballot for your precinct. The most efficient way to use the site is to enter your home address (the address at which you are registered to vote) into the box where you are given the opportunity to create "Personalized Voting Information." Click the Submit button, and you will see a list of the races on the ballot in your precinct. Click on individual races to see the candidates, information about them, and links to their websites. In some cases, appearing here are answers to interview questions that the candidates have submitted. Scroll down further to find the address of your polling place along with a map to help you locate where it is. In addition to the source mentioned above, you can also find your polling location on the site of the Pennsylvania Department of State. Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia of American politics, is another good source for finding candidate information. The site also allows you to generate a sample ballot for your precinct by entering your home address. Students living on campus may register to vote either at their campus address or their home address. For students who are registered at their campus address, type Harcum's address (750 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010) into either Vote 411 or Ballotpedia to see the races on the ballot in Harcum's precinct. The polling place for Harcum's precinct is: First Presbyterian Church of Ardmore 5 West Montgomery Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003 To keep up with the latest news related to the election, remember to consult the extensive number of sources that I have included in my News, Politics, & Current Events library guide. Bill Fanshel Evening/Weekend Librarian wfanshel@harcum.edu 610-229-9311 ...

Two Useful Websites