April 14, 2016 – July 30, 2016
(Opening April 14, 2016, 6-8PM)
Exhibit: Designing America: Spain’s Imprint on the US
Julia Ideson Building, Exhibit Gallery (2nd floor)
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
Curated by Spanish architects Juan Miguel Hernández León and Francisco Arques Soler and designed as an open cross-sectional tour through architecture, urban planning, and the territory. Designing America: Spain’s Imprint in the US enlightens the historical, political, and cultural events that have marked the course of 500 years of common history between the United States and Spain.
April 18 – June 18, 2016
Exhibit: The Intrepid Miss Julia Ideson
Julia Ideson Building, first and second floor display cases
550 McKinney St, Houston TX 77002
This exhibit explores Julia Ideson’s life and career as the first librarian of the Houston Public Library (from 1903 to 1945). As a suffragette, librarian in France during WW I, world traveler, promoter of the arts, birder, and avid gardener at home and on the job, Miss Ideson was a woman of encyclopedic interests who repeatedly demonstrated an adventurous spirit, generosity and strength of will. In 1951, responding to the move to name the Houston Public Library in her honor, the Houston Chronicle wrote: “[Her] shield of quiet dignity, which she never dropped, was a deceptive front for the steel determination that lay underneath.”
April 25, 2016, 11AM
Presentation: Preservation Week: Photo & Heirloom Preservation
Ring Branch, Houston Public Library
8835 Long Point Rd.
Houston, TX 77055
HMRC employees Joel Draut, Emily Scott, and Jennifer Unruh will conduct a program outlining best practices for preservation of photographs and other treasures.
April 25, 2016, reception @ 6PM; lecture @ 7PM
Presentation: The History of Baseball in Houston
Julia Ideson Building, Auditorium (first floor)
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
Mike Vance, author and Houston Arts and Media President will discuss the history of baseball in Houston from his book: Houston Baseball: The Early Years, 1861-1961. Event is free and open to the public.
April 27, 2016, 6:00PM
Presentation: Preservation Week : The Blue Tile Project
Julia Ideson Building, Norma Meldrum Room (1st floor)
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
In celebration of Preservation Week, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center will host the founders of The Blue Tile Project to discuss their efforts to preserve the blue street tiles that can be found across the city. The blue tile street signs lined our streets as early as the 1930's and are slowly disappearing. These signs are unique to Houston and our the first signs of street art. The vision of the Blue Tile Project is to bring awareness to the street tiles and give Houstonians something to call their own. For more information about the project, check out their Facebook page or visit their website
http://www.bluetileproject.com/ .
April 30, 2016, 10:30AM – 11:15AM
Presentation: Preservation Tips for Family Historians
Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research
5300 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77004
Learn best practices and tips for storage and handling of family documents and photos. This program will be presented by Archivist Jennifer Sessa of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. This event is part of a series of presentations put on by Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research as part of Preservation Week (April 24 – April 30th). Reservations are required, please call: 832-393-2600.
May 4, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30
Presentation: Telegraph, Travis and the Texas Revolution: An Archival and Archeological Journey through the Last Days of San Felipe de Austin
Julia Ideson Building, Norma Meldrum Room (first floor)
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
Bryan McAuley of the Texas Historical Commission will share recent updates about the development project at San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site. His program will focus on the month of March 1836 which began with the Texas Declaration of Independence and ended with the burning of San Felipe during the Runaway Scrape. Recent archival and archeological research will be used to share the stories of William B. Travis and his “Victory or Death” letter (and the preservation story of his diary), Gail Borden’s print shop and newspaper – the Telegraph and Texas Register – that served as the mouthpiece of the revolution, and the ultimate destruction of the town.
May 7, 2016, 11AM
Event: Julia Ideson Building Tour
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
Join us on the First Saturday of every month for a tour of the historic Julia Ideson Building. Formerly Houston Public Library’s “Central” Branch, the Julia Ideson Building is a beautiful Spanish Renaissance Revival (Plateresque)-style building in the heart of downtown. Learn about the history and use of the building, the renovations and additions, as well as the significance of its art and architecture. Free one-hour tours of the Ideson Building begin at 11 a.m. at the reception desk in the lobby. Tours are available on a first come basis and are limited to 20 people. If you would like to schedule a tour for a group of 10 or more, please contact 832-393-1662.
May 17, 2016, 6:00-7:30PM
Outreach Event: Workshop for students entering college
Cafécollege at Carnegie Neighborhood Library and Center for Learning
1050 Quitman Street, Houston, TX 77009
Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC), part of the Special Collections Division of the Houston Public Library, collects and preserves Houston’s history. HMRC houses thousands of records and over 4 million photographs all relating to the history of our city. HMRC Hispanic Collection Archivist Mikaela Selley and Architectural Archivist Samantha Bruer will discuss their role in bringing history to the public and the career opportunities in the library and archival field.
Saturday, May 21, 11AM
Event: Texas Room Orientation
Julia Ideson Building
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
On the Third Saturday of every month, Houston Metropolitan Research Center (HMRC) will offer a Texas Room orientation. In our monthly orientation, patrons can learn about the variety of resources available through the Texas Room and the types of collections and materials available through HMRC. Find out how to get started with your research and ways to get the most out of your research. No reservations required. Please allow time for signing in and checking personal items.
Date and Location TBD
Presentation: HMRC Student Showcase
Students from Houston Community College spent this semester gaining hands-on experience with the Hispanic Archival Collections at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. Their research will culminate in a web page that displays Houston’s Chicano Movement through selected archival material. Celebrate this collaborative effort and the students’ contributions to the preservation and promotion of Houston’s history!
This collaboration was done in partnership with Dr. Natalie Garza and her Mexican American history class at Houston Community College System Stafford Campus and administered by HMRC Hispanic Collections Archivist, Mikaela Selley.
June 6 – July 29, 2016
Student Historian Internship Program (SHIP)
Julia Ideson Building
550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
The Houston Metropolitan Research Center is accepting applications for its 4th Annual Student Historian Internship Program (SHIP). Launched in 2013, the purpose of this summer program is to expose students to librarian and archivist activities so they can experience what working in the library science and archival field is like. Students will work in the historic Julia Ideson Building while gaining hands-on experience with archival collections, learning how to record an oral history, how to preserve materials, and how to create digital history timelines. Students must be age 16 by June 2016 to qualify. This is a 120-hour program taking place June 13, 2016 through July 29, 2016. Application materials are due by April 29, 2016. View the Information Packet and Application at
http://digital.houstonlibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/curriculum-project/id/6This program is administered by Mikaela Selley, Hispanic Collections Archivist & Volunteer Coordinator, and Caroline Castillo, SHIP Coordinator.